Integrated Modular Blanket Assembly (IMBA) for Ultra-Thin Multijunction Photovoltaics

Future missions demand solar arrays that can provide extremely-high specific power, ultra-low stowage volume, extremely-high power capability, high-reliability, and affordability. Current state-of-the-art solar arrays rely on heavy composite-honeycomb structures and are approaching performance plateaus (500 W/kg BOL, projected to provide >1000 W/kg BOL at the IBMA blanket-level), lightweight, high deployed stiffness, high deployed strength, compact stowage volume (>50 kW/m3 BOL), reliability, modularity, adaptability, affordability, and rapid commercial readiness. The planned Phase 2 program is focused on incrementally advancing the TRL classification of DSS’s IMBA technology (baseline and backup designs) through ever-increasing hardware fidelity and environmental testing relevance to establish TRL 5/6. The significance of the proposed effort will provide a revolutionary and positive performance impact to the end-user, and allow for the rapid insertion of this mission-enabling technology for future applications. BENEFIT: DSS’s IMBA technology is widely applicable to all DoD and non-DoD missions as a direct replacement for current state-of-the-art. DSS’s IMBA technology has the potential to ultimately replace existing photovoltaic panels assemblies currently used and become the industry workhorse. Additionally, the IMBA technology when coupled to an ultra-lightweight deployable structure (such as ROSA) has the potential to ultimately replace existing solar arrays currently used and become the industry workhorse. The compelling performance benefits of the proposed IMBA technology such as: Ultra-lightweight (>1000 W/kg BOL at modular blanket assembly level and >500 W/kg at the array level, >10X lighter than rigid panel substrates), compact stowage volume (allows for arrays to be stowed to >50 kW/m3 BOL, 10X more compact stowage than rigid panel arrays), affordability (modular construction allows for very low cost), and rapid reconfigure-ability will provide mission-enabling market discriminators for many applications. Applicable missions include: LEO DoD surveillance, reconnaissance, communications and other critical payload satellites, LEO commercial mapping and critical payload satellites, MEO DoD satellites, GEO commercial communications and critical payload satellites, GEO DoD communications and payload satellites, and deep space interplanetary/planetary satellites. IMBA’s high-performance combined with its inherent plug-and-play features allow for rapid-assembly and rapid-reconfigurability to provide market dominating discriminators for Responsive Space missions and very-large high-power solar array missions. The planned Phase 2 effort has strong potential to fulfill the AFRL SBIR goals of providing high specific power, compact stowage volume, adaptability/scalability, affordability, plug-and-play modularity, rapid-assembly, rapid-reconfigurability, and the proven infrastructure to infuse readied technology for future missions.