EOS AM-1 GaAs/Ge flexible blanket solar array

The Earth Observing System (EOS) AM-1 solar array will be the first operational flexible blanket array to use gallium arsenide on germanium (GaAs/Ge) solar cells. It will be one of the first arrays of any kind to use thin GaAs/Ge solar cells and to produce power at high voltage. The array thereby represents a significant advance in spacecraft array technology. This paper describes the progress made and the problems encountered since Kimber et al. (1993) reported on the tradeoffs that led to the array's configuration.