Power System Design for a Small Inexpensive Satellite

Small orbiting satellites, such as Special Purpose Inexpensive Satellites (SPINSATS), Lightsats and Microsats are rapidly becoming popular for cost effective space oriented missions. This is mainly due to their short turn around, low cost, immediate return on investment and the availability of small military and commercial launch vehicles to launch them. Minimization of acquisition cost is the key to the successful processing of a SPINSAT. This, in addition to affecting the overall satellite reliability and delivery schedules, has a major impact on the power system which represents a substantial portion of the total satellite cost. Minimum cost implies prudent power system design with minimal redundancy, inexpensive energy source and battery with high cycle life. All of these factors must be considered and carefully balanced during the design phase of a SPINSAT and of its power system in particular. This paper describes the power system hardware and the process of implementing a cost effective design for such a small inexpensive satellite.