High Watts Per Kilogram - Advanced Integration and Heat Management Solar Array Technology (HaWK-AIHM )

Small satellite architectures have become a desirable low cost alternative to larger heritage spacecraft for advanced scientific missions. Unfortunately, the traditional component make-up of a small satellite or cubesats is for short duration missions and not specifically designed for space environment resiliency. NASA has identified several scientific missions which would benefit from highly engineered, space environment tolerant and high reliability components. MMA Design (MMA) proposes new innovations in small satellite deployable solar arrays for theses missions, specifically targeting high reliability, simple and heritage proven designs, and high performance. � Composite deployable hinge mechanism - due to volumetric constraints and stowed thickness requirements, an innovative composite panel-to-panel hinge mechanism is required. MMA has extensive knowledge in the design, manufacturing and test of composite tape hinges for deployable structures. The challenges that will be addressed in this effort is how to design a composite hinge with a tight stowed radius of curvature and a method of integration to the substrate panels that provides higher thermal conductivity than a traditional clevis hinge. � Advance high stiffness, high-k solar array substrates, multi-functional - limitations with traditional polyimide or glass-fiber substrates is that they exhibit low stiffness and thermal conductivity properties. Alternatively, High-K Mesophase-pitch based graphite fibers would provide magnitudes higher thermal conductivity, thus providing better heat transfer throughout the solar array panel. Also proposed are innovations in co-cured substrate construction whereby a highly emissive film is cured directly into the substrate panel creating a surface for significant heat rejection a on the backside of the solar array. The front side of the panel will also include a cured in circuit trace, which will significantly reduce wiring routing on the solar panel.

The proposed innovation can immediately benefit NASA missions such as Iodine Satellite (iSat) and the Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission. The iSat CubeSat is a technology demonstrator mission to research and flight test an alternative to high-pressure gaseous propellant using in Hall-effect thrusters (HETs). (Polzin, 2015) This flight experiment aims to demonstrate a 200W iodine-fed thruster. One of the many challenges with this new technology include iodine corrosion and material compatibility with the ejected iodine during thrust events and ground testing. Also, technically challenging is achieving a high packing factor solar array to power a 200W Hall-effect thruster. Whether through battery charging or a direct-drive solar electric power (SEP) scheme the deployable solar array must be of significant aperature in order to meet mission requirements. Another potential mission that would directly benefit from the proposed HaWK-HR concept is the Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission using CubeSat technology. This mission proposes to use a Cubesat platform as a low cost alternative to traditional science and exploratory spacecraft architectures. However, to enable such a demanding mission from a small satellite means new propulsion technologies are required. Currently, MSR is developing a Microfabricated Electrospray Propulsion (MEP) thruster to address interplanetary maneuverability. MEP uses a solid indium propellant and when heated, liquefies and passes through the thruster head.

Post application success relies on a strong transition and commercialization plan. The DoD is tasked with maintaining space capability which includes agile space asset management. The ability to rapidly relocate a critical asset to better support ground operations through the use of advanced thruster technology is a game-changing capability that requires high power systems. Commercial SmallSats need more power for increased duty-cycle to support increased user throughput.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 5) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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