Product category:
Batteries and Chargers
News Release from: Saft Lithium Battery Division | Subject: VES 100 Li-ion cells
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 25 August 2006
Li-ion cells go into low Earth orbit
With the successful launching of the Franco-American satellite mission Calipso, Saft is the first supplier of rechargeable batteries Li-ion installed onboard a mini-satellite LEO (low Earth orbit).
With the successful launching of the Franco-American satellite mission Calipso on 28th April 2006, Saft is the first supplier of rechargeable batteries Li-ion installed onboard a mini-satellite LEO (low Earth orbit) Calipso's polar orbit is an extremely demanding application for the onboard batteries, as they will be charged and discharged over a constantly repeating 100 minute cycle, with no rest periods, throughout a three-year mission
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 3 Feb 2000 at 8.00am (UK)
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"Saft has already helped pioneer the use of Li-ion batteries for GEO and MEO satellites".
"And now, Calipso is enabling us to demonstrate the critical advantages of Li-ion technology for the new generation of mini-LEO satellite platforms".
"These include the capability to save weight and space, enabling the satellite to carry the maximum active payload, while also delivering high performance and reliability under a very demanding charge and discharge cycle", said John Searle, Saft CEO.
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"Calipso is just the start, as Alcatel Alenia Space's next four Proteus platforms, to be launched between now and 2008, will also be powered by Saft Li-ion batteries".
The Calipso (cloud-aerosol lidar infra-red pathfinder satellite observations) mission is a co-operative project involving NASA (USA) and France's CNES and the Institut Pierre-Simon Laplace (CNRS).
It is based on Alcatel Alenia Space's Proteus mini-satellite platform, with a launch mass of 585kg.
Its main instrument is the lidar, which operates on a similar principle to radar, but using a laser rather than microwaves.
A camera operating in the visible range and an infra-red imager make up the payload.
Together with Cloudsat, its partner satellite launched on the same Delta 2 launcher, Calipso joined the A-train constellation that includes NASA's Aqua and Aura satellites and the CNES Parasol micro-satellite.
Flying in formation, just 15 seconds apart, at an orbit altitude of 705km and positioned to always cross the equator at the same local time, this constellation will provide a new, 3D perspective on the Earth's clouds and airborne particles called aerosols.
The satellites will answer questions about how clouds and aerosols form, evolve and affect water supply, climate, weather and air quality.
In this extremely demanding application, the Saft battery systems will work in conjunction with Calipso's solar array to provide the 550W of electrical power for the satellite's onboard electronics.
When the solar array is fully exposed to the sun it will provide the satellite's power as well as charging the batteries.
When the solar array is "eclipsed" by the earth, with no direct sunlight, the batteries will power the satellite.
This charge and discharge cycle will be repeated every 100 minutes - the time Calipso takes to complete one Earth orbit.
The Calipso battery system comprises Saft VES 100 Li-ion cells. Request a free brochure from Saft Lithium Battery Division ...
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