Power System

Due to mission re-entry requirements the only place available for solar cells is on both sides of the the deployable AeroSDS panels. Indigenously developed solar panels will be mounted to AeroSDS panels to generate the necessary power during the entire mission. The solar cells will safely burn-out during the re-entry without compromising the mission, as a set of space-rated batteries will take over the job. The picture below shows an array of solar cells being glued to the solar cell PCB.

The Electrical Power Sub-system (EPS) features a 12W input Clyde Space EPS to fulfill Maximum Peak Power Tracking (MPPT) and 5V, 3.3V voltage regulation requirements. The EPS board is shown below.

In order to supply continuous power during the re-entry phase, where solar cells are burned off, a battery sub-system has been designed. COTS batteries are tested for space environment compliance in the Von Karman Institute long shot facility. The batteries, protection circuitry and regulators will be placed in the survival unit to survive the re-entry environment.