Enhanced Mission-Enabling Ultra-High Power Solar Array (Mega-ROSA EX)

Mega-ROSA-EX is an enhanced, higher stiffness, higher sun-pointing accuracy, higher strength, higher specific power and even larger overall power / deployed size / stowed packaging capability configuration of the innovative Mega-ROSA technology. Mega-ROSA, named for Mega Roll-Out Solar Array, is a highly-modularized and extremely-scalable ROSA-based solar array architecture that provides immense power level range capability from 100kW to multiple Megawatts in size, for NASA Exploration Initiative and Planetary missions such as SEP space-tug and large-scale SEP-powered Planetary applications. The further-advanced/optimized versions of Mega-ROSA proposed(Mega-ROSA EX),promise to increase its deployed stiffness, strength and deployed size/packaging capability performance well beyond the excellent values already shown to be obtainable with the baseline "standard" high-packaging efficiency Mega-ROSA design. The significant and revolutionary end-user benefits of the Mega-ROSA EX technology advances are: Increased deployed stiffness / sun-pointing accuracy - The Mega-ROSA-EX configurations proposed to be developed during the Phase 1 program will allow significantly higher deployed stiffness (3-5 times higher than the standard baseline Mega-ROSA configurations), and the resulting lower PV blanket-plane displacements / higher wing sun-pointing accuracy achieved under expected on-orbit accelerations will enable the use of currently-available and cost-lowering flex-blanket PV concentration systems. The use of these concentrating methods to reduce the amount of expensive high-performance photovoltaics is a necessity to make cost-viable many of the planned NASA high-power SEP and Planetary missions. Certain SEP-powered Tug and Planetary spacecraft applications have mission scenarios with burn events/maneuvers that impose high accelerations. The Mega-ROSA EX configurations proposed are capable of achieving these accels. up to 0.25 G's and higher.

The proposed Mega-ROSA-EX technology promises to provide NASA a near-term and low-risk solar array system that provides revolutionary performance in terms of ultra-high power (100's of kW to 10's of MW), high specific power (>200-500 W/kg BOL at the wing level depending on PV), affordability (up to >50% projected cost savings at the array level with concentrators), light weight, high deployed stiffness, high deployed strength, ability to react maneuvering accelerations, compact stowage volume (>50 kW/m3 BOL), reliability, high radiation tolerance, high voltage operation capability, scale-ability, and LILT & HIHT operation capability. The proposed highly-experienced team and unique capabilities will catalyze commercial infusion and rapidly increase Mega-ROSA-EX technology readiness. The predicted performance metrics for the Mega-ROSA-EX technology are incredible improvements over current state-of-the-art, and in many cases are mission-enabling for future NASA Exploration missions and other NASA applications, and particularly for NASA's deep space solar electric propulsion (SEP) high-voltage and high-radiation missions, space-tug missions, and large area Planetary / Lunar surface missions. Space applications are comprised of NASA missions that require large-power production through deployment of photovoltaic devices. Ultra-high power applications include high power spacecraft, Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP), space-tug, etc.

Non-NASA space commercial applications are comprised of practically all DoD, and commercial missions that require large-power production through deployment of photovoltaic devices. Ultra-high power applications include high power spacecraft, Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP),and high-power telecommunications DoD customers may take advantage of the high-stiffness / strength capability for reacting maneuvering loads associated with rapid-response surveillance missions.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 4) — 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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