Final Report - Fabrication Feasibility Study of a 20 Watt Per Pound Solar Cell Array - NASA Mars Orbiter

Sep 10, 2026

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Final report covering JPL Contract 951132 on the fabrication feasibility of a 20 watt per pound solar cell array intended to power electric propulsion engines for unmanned spacecraft traveling to a Mars orbit. The work establishes criteria and requirements, performs data collection and parametric evaluations, and conducts configuration trades using state-of-the-art components and processes as of January 1966. Baseline configuration and both 10 and 50 kilowatt prototype preliminary designs are developed, with fabrication of small 1-square-foot sample panels and small-scale model arrays.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages315

Reading Time13 h 14 min

AccessFree to download

INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY

Introduction

Summary

Problems

Conclusions

Study Program Plan

CRITERIA AND REQUIREMENTS

Definitions

Mission Assumptions

Spacecraft Envelope Requirements

Structural & Environmental Design Criteria

Material Selection Criteria

Electrical Power Criteria

Mechanism Restraints

Reliability

Interfaces

Manufacturing Restraints

Ground Handling Requirements

PANEL TRADE SUMMARIES

Solar Cell Module Evaluations

Electrical Bus Evaluations

Structural Evaluations

ARRAY TRADE STUDIES

Saturn IB/Centaur Configuration Studies

Atlas/Centaur Configuration Studies

Electrical Bus Trades

Material Evaluations

Reliability Evaluations

Manufacturing Feasibility Evaluation

PRELIMINARY DESIGN SYSTEM DEFINITION

Baseline Configuration

Major Subsystems

Major Array - Spacecraft Interfaces

PRELIMINARY DESIGN AND ANALYSIS SUMMARY

Saturn IB/Centaur Array

Atlas/Centaur Array

PROGRAM PLAN

Master Phasing Schedule

Engineering Plan

Test Plan

Ground Support Equipment Requirements

Manufacturing Plan

Facility Requirements

Costs

SAMPLE PANELS AND MODELS

Sample Panels

Array Models

CR70582 NASA BOEING N66-18325 (THRD) (ACCESSION NUMBER)8/ (PAGES) Ce70582 03 FACILITY FORM 602 (NASA CR OR TMX OR AD NUMBER) (CATEGORY) 3/144X750 阳圈10000000 $. GPO PRICE CFSTI PRICE(S)$ 507/25 Hard copy(HC) Microfiche(MF) ff653 July 65 ● ● THE BOEIIYFcoMPANY REV LTR CODE IDENT.NO.81205 NUMBER___ D2-23942-5 TITLE:.FINAL REPORT-FABRICATION FEASIBILITY STUDY OF A 20 WATT PER POUND SOLAR CELL ARRAY FOR LIMITATIONS IMPOSED ON THE USE OF THE INFORMATIONCONTAINED IN THIS DOCUMENT AND ON THE DISTRIBUTIONOF THIS DOCUMENT,SEE LIMITATIONS SHEET. MODEL 951132 CONTRACT iSSUED TO: ISSUE NO. PREPARED BY 厂 2-19-W.RatchesonREVIEWED BY ar 9nv.1965K.MartinezAPPROVED BY.乡. CCw.G.Willis/91APPROVED BY W.I.Ratcheson171 This work was performed for the Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of Technology,sponsored by theNational Aeronautics and Space Administration underContract NAS7-100 D2-23942-5LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS S.ChampDynamic AnalysisT.DaltonPrototype Test Plan L.HartleyWeightsT.HaynieMechanisms DesignW.KetchumProgram Plan Staff E.MilesElectrical Conductor DesignS.MitsuiStructural Design H.O'HareReliabilityR.OramGround Support Equipment C.ReifelManufacturing Development J.TallentElectrical Module Design K.WiedekampMaterials and Processes E.ZapelStress Analysis ● The contract was begun on February 22,1965,and completed in December,1965. Criteria and RequirementsPanel Configuration TradesArray Configuration TradesParametric EvaluationsSolar Photovoltaic CellsCover GlassesDielectricBussesFolding Modular Array ● ABSTRACT This document is the final report on efforts conducted under JPL Contract951132,"Fabrication Feasibility Study of a 20 Watt Per Pound Solar Array".The solar arrays under study are to be used to power electric propulsionengines on unmanned spacecraft enroute to a Mars orbit. The study includes development of Criteria and Requirements,data collec-tion,parametric evaluations and configuration trades of arrays using com-ponents and materials and processes that are considered I'state-of-the-art!as of January 1966.After establishment of a baseline configuration,botha 10 and a 50 kilowatt prototype preliminary design were developed andsmall,1 square foot,sample panels and small scale model arrays were fab-ricated. KEY WORDS Panel SubstrateRigid PanelsSemi-Rigid PanelFlexible(Rollup)PanelsDeployment MechanismsRelease MechanismsInterconnectorsRollup Arrays CONTENTS PAGE 1.0 INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY 1 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Summary 1.3 Problems10 1.4 Conclusions12 1.5 Study Program Plan132.0 CRITERIA AND REQUIREMENTS15 2.1 Definitions15 2.2 Mission Assumptions 2.3 Spacecraft Envelope Requirements23 2.4 Structural &Environmental Design Criteria 2.5Material Selection Criteria 2.6Electrical Power Criteria 2.7Mechanism Restraints 2.8Reliability 2.9Interfaces41 2.10 Manufacturing Restraints42 2.11 Ground Handling Requirements43 3.0 PANEL TRADE SUMMARIES45 3.1 Solar Cell Module Evaluations45 3.2 Electrical Bus Evaluations52 3.3 Structural Evaluations564.0 ARRAY TRADE STUDIES67 4.1 Saturn IB/Centaur Configuration Studies71 4.2 Atlas/Centaur Configuration Studies99 4.3 Electrical Bus Trades107 4.4 Material Evaluations111 4.5 Reliability Evaluations113 4.6 Manufacturing Feasibility Evaluation1155.0 PRELIMINARY DESIGN SYSTEM DEFINITION119 5.1 Baseline Configuration119 5.2 Major Subsystems119 5.3 Major Array -Spacecraft Interfaces122 D2-23942-5CONTENTS(Cont'd) 123 6.0 PRELIMINARY DESIGN AND ANALYSIS SUMMARY 6.1 Saturn IB/Centaur Array123 6.2 Atlas/Centaur Array202 229 # 7.0 PROGRAM PLAN 229 # 7.1 Master Phasing Schedule 235 # 7.2 Engineering Plan 239 # 7.3 Test Plan 249 # 7.4 Ground Support Equipment Requirements 269 # 7

FAQs

What is the main purpose of this final report?

It presents the final results of a JPL study focused on fabrication feasibility for a 20 watt per pound solar cell array for electric propulsion on unmanned Mars-orbit spacecraft.

What types of analyses and planning work are included?

The report includes criteria and requirements development, data collection, parametric evaluations, configuration trades, and preliminary design system definition with program plan elements such as test and manufacturing plans.

Which prototype designs and test artifacts were developed?

After establishing a baseline configuration, preliminary designs for both 10 kW and 50 kW prototypes were produced, alongside fabrication of 1-square-foot sample panels and small-scale model arrays.

Sep 10, 2026

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