Energy is an integral part of any space mission. When a spacecraft loses power, communications are disrupted, the ship spins out of control, and life support systems shut down—a scenario that sounds like a sci-fi nightmare.
For spacecraft, the sun is a very important source of energy, and the recent Artemis I mission demonstrated just how powerful the use of solar energy can be in space. During its nearly month-long flight around the moon, NASA tested all of the unmanned craft's features, including the Orion crew capsule's innovative solar panels. The ship's solar panels have exceeded all expectations and are proving to be a key technology for the future of human space exploration.
"The first results show that the grid is producing much more energy than expected," said Philippe Burt, Project Manager of the European Space Agency's (ESA) Orion European Service Module.
[See: Welcome to Earth, Orion]
ESA and Airbus Europe engineers are working with NASA and Lockheed Martin to create the Orion spacecraft, a component separate from the launch vehicle that will carry astronauts to their destinations and back on subsequent flights . The main contribution of the Paris agency to Orion is the European service module, which houses the solar panels and other important systems.
Orion has four wings, each about the size of a British double-decker bus, which deploy in 18 minutes of flight while still in low Earth orbit. Each of these wings contains three gallium arsenide solar panels, a type of highly efficient and durable solar cell designed for space. Together, the four wings are "the equivalent of two houses," Bertha says.
This type of solar cell is commonly used by military and research satellites. What's innovative about the Orion panel is how it works. "Usually solar panels only have one axis of rotation so you can follow the sun," explained Bertha. However, those inside the capsule can move in two directions, folding up to withstand the stress of spaceflight and the heat of Orion's powerful engines.
During the 26-day Artemis I mission, a joint NASA-ESA team tested all aspects of the solar cell, including its ability to rotate, deploy and generate power. According to Berthe, the panel worked so well that it produced 15% more energy than the engineers expected. This has implications for future Artemis missions: "The size of the solar panels could be reduced," he says, "or they could provide more power for Orion." Smaller solar panels could lower mission costs, but more power could provide additional capabilities aboard a manned craft.
The Maneuverable Solar System also has a wingtip camera that Mathias Granowski, Airbus's chief engineer for the European Service Module, likened to a "selfie stick" for the mission. These cameras have provided incredible images of spacecraft passing between the Moon and Earth, and can even help mission engineers inspect the spacecraft for damage. Because the pods are flexible, they act like robotic arms, providing "the ability to see the entire vehicle," Granowski says.
[ Check Out: These Powerful Solar Panels Are As Thin As A Human Hair ]
Artemis I is NASA's first step in testing the technology needed to land humans on the moon and eventually Mars with the Orion crew capsule. Le nouveau program lunaire prévoite de transporter des humans au-delà de l'orbite low terrestrial, où réside la Station spacee internationale, pour première fois depuis les années 1970, y compris la première femme et la première personne de couleur à poser le pied di month.
Solar panels are part of the innovative technology of Artemis and Orion, and these first test flights have proven that they are a viable technology for deep space travel. Mobile assemblies like those on Artemis I will be key for future missions that require more powerful engines, allowing the panels to switch into a defensive configuration as the spacecraft accelerates.
"We are very proud to participate in this program," said Granovsky. "And we're very proud of the fact that we really did put people back on the moon."
