Solar Panel Array for 3U CubeSat to the Moon

SOLAR PANEL SYSTEM FOR A 3U CUBESAT. A. R. Pacheco1 and M. Raouf2, B. Foing2, F. Fazel Hesar2,3, P. R. Mitra4, P. Ananwatanyoo4, U. N. A. N. Sonou5, C. Irakleous3, B. Cameron5, E. Woest5. 1 Inholland Delft, Inholland University of Applied Sciences, P.O. Box 3190, Rotterdamseweg 141, 2628 AL; Delft, Netherlands; [email protected]. 2 Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9513, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands; rao[email protected]iv.nl, 2 ILEWG LUNEX-EuroMoonMars Earth-Space, ESTEC European Space Agency, Keplerlaan 1, 2201 AZ Noordwijk, The Netherlands; [email protected]. This study focuses on optimizing the design and efficiency of a deployable solar panel array for a 3U CubeSat, intended for operation in Earth orbit and lunar orbit. The objective is to enhance power generation, reliability, and deployment mechanisms while considering environmental constraints such as radiation/irradiation, thermal variations, and solar incidence angles. A detailed analysis of solar incidence on the CubeSat’s solar panels is being conducted using Systems Tool Kit (STK) 12 simulations to evaluate power generation under varying orbital conditions. The study considered different orbital configurations, including 525 km equatorial low Earth orbit (LEO), lunar orbit, and EML2 trajectories. The solar panel design incorporates triplejunction GaAs cells, known for their high efficiency in space applications. Additionally, deployment mechanisms will be tested to ensure reliability during launch and operation. Thermal effects and performance were evaluated using simulations, prototype testing and extensive research, ensuring the system’s durability and performance under prolonged space exposure for future flight models. A point to consider in this Solar panel design is the batteries where all the energy will be stored, as most earth orbits there will be periods of no sunlight in which the components must function using the battery reserves. Therefore, the best battery will be a small power dense battery. Simulation results indicate that the optimized solar panel shall be a solar panel array rather than a conventional single side panel. This achieves a significant increase in power generation which is necessary to power the heavy energy dependent payload especially in LEO, sunsynchronous and lunar orbit conditions. The deployable design ensures an improved power-to-weight ratio, critical for CubeSat applications. This study highlights the feasibility and advantages of an optimized deployable solar panel array for CubeSats operating in LEO, sun-synchronous lunar orbit. The design enhances power generation and mission longevity, making it suitable for extended deep-space operations. Future work will focus on mechanical deployment testing, radiation shielding enhancements, and further power optimization. These advancements will contribute to the development of more autonomous and energy-efficient small satellite missions. Figure 1 For the EML2 orbit mission around the moon, the solar panel’s function will be to generate enough power to power the spectrometer which that will be doing observations on the moons surface. The solar panel will be an array comprised by a double deployable solar array on each side on the current design idea. Figure 1 above shows the design idea that could be used. As it gives a very good power production in a small area due to its foldable design. References: [1] Daghouri A., El Hachimi Y., Ouhammam A., Mahmoudi H., and Chanoui M. A. (2023) Proc. IEEE MetroAeroSpace, 2023, Article ID 10190016. [2] Dahbi S., Aziz A., Zouggar S., and Rachidi T. (2017) Proc. 31st ISTS & 26th ISSFD, Paper d-160.