On-Orbit Annealing of Satellite Solar Panels

Abstract

An approach to extend the life of orbiting satellites is presented. Since output power of spacecraft solar panels plays a major role in determining the end of life of the satellite, any attempt to recover any of this lost power would be very attractive. The goal of this research was to investigate the possibility of annealing radiation damaged solar panels under conditions that would be feasible to apply in orbiting spacecraft. Preliminary data of a technique called forward biased current annealing of GaAs cells is presented and shows promising results at a moderate temperature. An autonomous microprocessor controlled experiment to carry out these tasks is also presented. The experiment is currently capable of monitoring and accurately recording different cell performance including their IV characteristics. With simple modifications to this circuit the system can be designed to perform current annealing of different array cells.