The EOS-AM solar array-a flexible GaAs/Ge array

The EOS-AM spacecraft is the first in a series of NASA remote Earth sensing spacecraft due for launch in 1998. The spacecraft requires a single solar array wing with an End of Life (5 years) power requirement of 5 kW. This paper discusses the technical issues which concluded that a flexible blanket with 5.5 mil thick GaAs/Ge solar cells was the optimum design at both array and spacecraft level. A relative cost study showed that there was only marginal cost impact in using GaAs/Ge cells as against silicon cells on a flexible array. An overview of the proposed design (based on the TRW APSA design) is also given.<>