COARSE SUN SENSORS for the SATELLITE MISSION AQUARIUS-SAC-D

C.G. BOLZI; C.J. BRUNO; M. G. MARTÍNEZ BOGADO; M. J. L. TAMASI; J. FERNÁNDEZ VÁZQUEZ

BigSky-Montana

Conferencia; IEEE Aerospace Conference; 2012

IEEE

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 modified OCVD technique were carried out. These characterizations were before made and after radiation damage using 10 MeV protons´ at normal incidence and a fluence around 10^11 p/cm2. The enviromental test is carried out in the engineering qualification model of SAC-D solar panel. The Delta II rocket carrying the Aquarius/SAC-D spacecraft launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base on June 10, 2011, beginning a three-year mission to study our planet´s salty seas. Power solar array was deployed two hours after liftoff successfully and telemetry data indicated the correct functioning of coarse sun sensors.Resumen no publicado