Abstract
CubeSats and small satellite solutions are increasing in popularity as they enable a fast, cheap, and agile way for satellite applications. An essential component of nearly every satellite is the energy storage device, which is practically equal to a battery. Consequently, an overview of past, present, and future battery technologies for CubeSats is presented. CubeSats use typically commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) batteries. They are not primarily dedicated to space, so their suitability to the space environment needs to be evaluated. Batteries are also considered as potentially dangerous goods. Thus, there are guidelines and standards that specify safety criteria and tests for the batteries in order to be allowed for transportation and launch. Furthermore, the character of satellites’ missions determines their demand on batteries in terms of current rates, depth-of-discharge, and lifetime. Thus, these expectations are discussed. A market survey was also carried out to identify currently available commercial battery solutions and their parameters. This work summarizes the status, requirements, and the market situation of batteries for CubeSats.
Highlights
The NewSpace trend promotes the commercialization of space and favors faster and cheaper solutions
This review provides an overview of battery technology used in CubeSats, its requirements and market status
Orbits of launched nano-satellites are visualized in Figure 8 and it shows that so far most the nanosatellites were dedicated to low Earth orbit (LEO), except MarCO CubeSats [62], which were deployed in deep space to flyby Mars, and TDO CubeSats intended for geostationary transfer orbit (GTO)
Summary
The NewSpace trend promotes the commercialization of space and favors faster and cheaper solutions. The developed CubeSat components fit exactly to the structure and this combatability opens them up to the wider market [4] Another aspect of the NewSpace and CubeSat approach that brings the cost down is the utilization of so-called commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components. In the CubeSats, solar panels take the role of power generation and secondary batteries serve as energy storage. The task of the battery is to provide power when the production from solar panels is not sufficient to cover the consumption. This is especially the case when a satellite passes through an eclipse and there is no light reaching the solar panels. This review provides an overview of battery technology used in CubeSats, its requirements and market status
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