PHOTOVOLTAIC COARSE SUN SENSORS FOR THE SATELLITE MISSION AQUARIUS-SAC-D: DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL TESTS

M.J.L. TAMASI; M. G. MARTÍNEZ BOGADO; C.G. BOLZI; I. PRARIO; M. A. ALURRALDE

ADVANCES IN SPACE RESEARCH

ELSEVIER SCI LTD

Año: 2010 vol.

0273-1177

Este artículo fue enviado y se encuentra en proceso de corrección: The electrical power is one of the key resources of the space systems. The photovoltaic solar generator have been and seem to continue being the best option as source of power for satellites of low and geostationary orbits.  In order to orient the solar panels to the sun, coarse sun sensors are used as part of the attitude control system and comprising fundamental of the system of direction with respect to the Sun. In this work one appears the design, manufacture and qualification tests such as mechanical tests on contacts and radiation damage. Electrical and electronic characterization through I-V curved, spectral response measurement and determination of the effective lifetime of the minority carriers using modifiedOCVD technique were carried out. These characterizations were before made and after radiation damage using 10 MeV protons´ at normal incidence and a fluence around 1011 p/cm2. The enviromental test is carried out in the engineering qualification model of SAC-D solar panel