Product category:
Batteries and Chargers
News Release from: ABSL Power Solutions
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 21 February 2007
Lithium-ion batteries for five new
satellites
Five satellites launched into space in February contained litihium-ion batteries for power and telemetry purposes
Five satellites launched into space in February contained litihium-ion batteries provided by ABSL Space Products The five satellites were launched on 17th February and placed in the Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) constellation in highly elliptical orbits
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 17 Sep 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
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THEMIS will provide answers to critical questions about the origin and phenomenology of solar and Earth magnetosphere interaction, the resultant electrical substorms, effects on space weather, disruptions in ground power grids, and communications.
These affect the operation of other space satellites and the lives of humans in the sub-aurora regions on Earth.
The lithium-ion batteries will interface directly with each satellite's electrical power and distribution subsystem, and will provide sufficient telemetry to assess the health and safety of the battery during ground testing and on-orbit operations.
Chris Pearson of ABSL Space Products comments: "THEMIS represents another important step in our lithium-ion battery program".
"Not only is this our second NASA mission to be launched, THEMIS was also ABSL's first contract with Swales".
"We are proud that Swales is now a core customer having selected ABSL for a second, US Government, mission due to be launched later this year".
Mike Cully, Program Manager for THEMIS at Swales says: "We appreciated the job that ABSL did, qualifying and delivering a significant quantity of technically challenging hardware, to an aggressive schedule".
"THEMIS was our first foray into the relatively new battery chemistry of lithium ion".
"ABSL made that transition painless with excellent customer support".
ABSL has provided lithium-ion battery products to 25 spacecraft already launched and has contracts for more than 70 satellites and launch vehicles.
Batteries have ranged in size from less than 1kg to over 150Ah with even larger hardware awaiting launch.
ABSL lithium-ion has now clocked up over 3,800 cell years of space operation without failure and has received lithium-ion space battery contracts from five separate NASA field centres.
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