Start Date
4-1984 8:00 AM
Description
A miniaturized Cassegrainian concentrator (MCC) solar array system concept is under preliminary development for the space station or for other large spacecraft/space platform mission applications that may require power at the 100 kilowatt level or higher. The concept has many of the physical attributes of planar rigid-panel solar arrays and does not require unusual deployment or thermal management methods or auxiliaries. Furthermore, it promises both lower initial cost and lower life cycle cost than state-of-the-art lightweight planar flexible blanket solar arrays. The paper briefly describes the MCC concept and presents the results of a life cycle cost comparison analysis that shows that solar array area (rather than weight) is the key cost parameter at the lowest candidate space station basing altitudes. With smaller area than its planar array counterpart, the MCC array offers a 20 to 30 percent reduction in life cycle cost.
A Miniaturized Cassegrainian Concentrator Solar Array for High Power Space Applications.
A miniaturized Cassegrainian concentrator (MCC) solar array system concept is under preliminary development for the space station or for other large spacecraft/space platform mission applications that may require power at the 100 kilowatt level or higher. The concept has many of the physical attributes of planar rigid-panel solar arrays and does not require unusual deployment or thermal management methods or auxiliaries. Furthermore, it promises both lower initial cost and lower life cycle cost than state-of-the-art lightweight planar flexible blanket solar arrays. The paper briefly describes the MCC concept and presents the results of a life cycle cost comparison analysis that shows that solar array area (rather than weight) is the key cost parameter at the lowest candidate space station basing altitudes. With smaller area than its planar array counterpart, the MCC array offers a 20 to 30 percent reduction in life cycle cost.
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