Electrical Solar Power Supply Systemi Considerations for UK-2/S-52 International Satellite

The UK-2/S-52 Satellite is one of NASA's International Satellites and carries Experiments built by the British. The satellite is under Management and technical supervision of Goddard Space Flight Center. The Consideration and analysis of environmental and operational requirements, as well as the requirements imposed by the satellite configuration, influenced the UK-2/S-52 power source system design, the detail specifications for the batteries and solar paddles, and the testing of these and associated sub-assemblies. For example, early appreciation for the influence of temperature extremes, as well as of the effects of the load on the external characteristics of the unregulated bus resulted in the faithful simulation of operational influences at the electrical functional testing level and individual unit qualification testing level of components supplying or using the unregulated bus. In discussing some of these considerations, this paper describes the UK-2/S-52 power supply from a functional standpoint and includes a discussion of the load analysis results and some of the performance characteristics of the solar paddles, the main batteries, and the power source control and protective circuits. Also discussed are significant routines of the test procedures for paddles and batteries as well as some of the test results.