Nanosatellite Power Subsystem
Stellar Exploration, Inc.
High-current, long-life lithium-ion nanosatellite battery and power management subsystem with flight heritage on 24+ satellites.
Technical specifications
- Peak power
- Up to 5 kW for 90 seconds per orbit
- Specific peak power
- Up to 500 W/kg
- Lifetime
- >3 years (projected)
- Flight heritage
- >24 units launched 2018-2021
- Lead time
- 4-6 months
- Battery chemistry
- Lithium-ion, redundant modules with dedicated per-string balancing and control
About
Stellar Exploration’s nanosatellite power subsystem was developed in response to unique requirements for high peak current with long lifetime (>3 years), at low unit cost. The subsystem includes redundant lithium-ion modules with dedicated balancing and control for each string, in order to maximize lifetime. It can provide up to 5 kW peak power for 90 seconds every orbit, with a projected lifetime exceeding three years, and can be scaled to provide up to 500 W/kg peak power.
The integrated subsystem includes programmable charging and discharging control, failure detection and isolation, multiple watchdog timers, and power-on-reset capability. The battery design can be modified to fit customer-specific mission requirements.
The power subsystem has extensive flight heritage, with more than 24 units launched between 2018 and 2021, including high-current power systems developed for ICEYE’s Synthetic Aperture Radar constellation, where roughly 4,000 lithium-ion cells have been deployed in orbit across all missions to date.
Documentation
Need the full ICD, test reports or a specific revision? Ask the supplier directly.
