High Energy, Long Life Solid-State Batteries for Air Force Spacecraft

As the demand for on-board power and total energy-storage capacity in U.S. Air Force satellites has continued to increase, there has been an increasing trend towards the use of battery technologies with higher energy density potential. To this end, Li-ion batteries are now becoming the new industry standard for use as rechargeable secondary batteries in space vehicles. However, cycle-life degradation remains concerning to the space community. Further, the U.S. Air Force desires higher specific energy batteries for future satellite missions. In response to this need, Solid Power proposes to continue its development of high energy, all solid-state rechargeable battery technology to meet the U.S. Air Force’s requirements for high energy and long cycle life energy storage systems. The proposed Phase II program will focus on cell optimization and scale-up, with a particular emphasis on maximizing cathode energy while maintaining long-term lithium metal anode compatibility.