TOPEX/Poseidon electrical power system-autonomous operation

The main objective of the TOPEX/Poseidon Satellite is to monitor the worlds oceans for scientific study of weather and climate prediction, coastal storm warning and maritime safety. The operational conditions of this satellite imposed challenging requirements for the on-board electrical power system (EPS). The power system is designed to maintain a certain level of autonomy. This paper presents the autonomous operations planned, their on-orbit performance and how some of the operations were modified as certain unpredictable circumstances were discovered.