Abstract
Abstract. Data on solar array efficiency measured on board two Czech MAGION micro-satellites between August 1995 and June 2002, during the period of increasing and high solar activity, were used to study the space weather effects on photo-voltaic solar cells. A stronger degradation of the solar array was observed on MAGION-5 in comparison with MAGION-4. This fact can be explained by the essential difference between the two orbits. The MAGION-5 s/c was in the radiation belts more than 40% of the time, whereas the MAGION-4 was only present about 4% of the time. The experimental data refer to periods of low as well as high solar activity, with an enhanced occurrence of strong solar events. The evaluation of the data set covering a period of more than 6 years has shown that solar proton flares can have an almost immediate effect on the solar array efficiency. However, in the case of MAGION-5, an important role in solar cell degradation is played by the long-term effect of energetic particles in the radiation belts. Periods with a distinctly steeper decrease in the solar array output power were observed and can be explained by an increase of particle flux density in the radiation belts. Periods in slower decline of the solar array output power correspond to periods in low radiation belt indices based on the NOAA POES s/c data.
Highlights
The solar array efficiency decrease with time in orbit between the different MAGION s/c can be compared
The MAGION microsatellites (Fig. 1) for the INTERBALL Mission (Trıska et al, 1995) and their subsystems (Table 1) were developed and manufactured at the Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, in cooperation with the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University, Prague, the Space Research In-stitute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, and the Technical University Graz, Austria
The radiation belt variability can be characterised by the Radiation Belt Indices (RBI) based on NOAA’s Polar-orbiting Environmental Satellites POES
Summary
The solar array efficiency decrease with time in orbit between the different MAGION s/c can be compared. P. Trıska et al.: Space weather effects on the MAGION-4 and MAGION-5 solar cells 40 kbit/s broadband 0.1–60 kHz, subcarriers 0–1.3 kHz 150 MHz and 450 MHz bands, 1028 direct commands, command words voltages, currents, temperatures, operation status (272 items measured) 3-axis magnetometer, 3 solar sensors and 2 infrared horizon sensors spin 3◦/s; spin period and spin axis direction controlled by a cold gas jet system; spin axis directed towards the Sun 14 instruments to study the magnetic and electric fields and waves, cold and hot plasma parameters, video imager experiment MAGION-4 58.7 kg, MAGION-5 68.5 kg Perigee Apogee Inclination Orbital period Launch date 800 km 192 000 km 62.8◦ 92 h 3 August 1995
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