IGF::OT::IGF THE PROPOSED EFFORT IS FOCUSED ON VALIDATING TO TRL 6 A MODULAR MULTI-JUNCTION PHOTOVOLTAIC FL…

Public award description

IGF::OT::IGF THE PROPOSED EFFORT IS FOCUSED ON VALIDATING TO TRL 6 A MODULAR MULTI-JUNCTION PHOTOVOLTAIC FLEXIBLE BLANKET TECHNOLOGY THAT ENABLES/ENHANCES THE ABILITY TO PROVIDE LOW-COST, LOW MASS, AND HIGH VOLTAGE OPERABILITY FOR HIGH POWER ARRAYS TO SUPPORT SOLAR ELECTRIC PROPULSION (SEP) HUMAN EXPLORATION AND SPACE SCIENCE MISSIONS. THE PROPOSED TECHNOLOGY IS APPLICABLE TO ALL NASA FUTURE MISSIONS, NOT JUST SEP HUMAN EXPLORATION AND SPACE SCIENCE MISSIONS. THE PROPOSED MULTI-JUNCTION FLEXIBLE BLANKET ASSEMBLY WHEN COUPLED TO AN OPTIMIZED STRUCTURAL PLATFORM (SUCH AS DSS'S ROSA, AND/OR OTHER OPTIMIZED FLEXIBLE BLANKET SOLAR ARRAY STRUCTURES) AND MICROLINK'S EPITAXIAL LIFTOFF(ELO) MULTI-JUNCTION SOLAR CELL TECHNOLOGY WILL PRODUCE REVOLUTIONARY ARRAY-SYSTEM-LEVEL PERFORMANCE IN TERMS OF HIGH SPECIFIC POWER, LIGHTWEIGHT, RAPID ASSEMBLY AND RE-CONFIGURABILITY, COMPACT STOWAGE VOLUME, RELIABILITY, MODULARITY, ADAPTABILITY, EXTREME AFFORDABILITY, ADAPTABILITY TO ALL FLEXIBLE SOLAR ARRAYS, AND RAPID COMMERCIAL INFUSION. ONCE SUCCESSFULLY VALIDATED THROUGH THE PROPOSED PROGRAM, THE PROPOSED LIGHTWEIGHT MULTI-JUNCTION FLEXIBLE BLANKET TECHNOLOGY WILL PROVIDE INCREDIBLE PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENTS OVER CURRENT STATE-OF-THE-ART, AND WILL BE MISSION-ENABLING FOR FUTURE NASA AND NON-NASA APPLICATIONS. NASA'S TECHNOLOGY ROADMAP INCLUDES UTILIZING SEP FOR SPACE HUMAN EXPLORATION AND OUTER-PLANETS MISSIONS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROPOSED FLEXIBLE BLANKET TECHNOLOGY ENABLES THESE EMERGING MISSIONS BY PROVIDING AFFORDABILITY, VERY HIGH POWER CAPABILITY, LIGHTWEIGHT, ULTRA-COMPACT STOWAGE, AND HIGH-VOLTAGE OPERATION IN A SEP PLASMA ENVIRONMENT.