Solar Array Technologies for Planetary Science and Astrobiology Missions

Abstract

The information in this white paper about future NASA mission concepts and their power system options is pre-decisional and is provided for planning and discussion purposes only. Introduction Future planetary science and astrobiology missions will depend on advanced power generation technologies to enable long mission durations and survival in unique, challenging environments throughout the solar system 1. In several cases, the ability to generate power in these environments will enable new missions that were previously considered unattainable. Advancing solar array technology is expected to play a significant role in these developments. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate how well current solar array technology can meet the needs of future missions and identify advances in solar array technology that can enable or enhance many mission concepts.