Development of a High-Efficiency Lightweight Solar Array for Deep-Space Missions

Solar arrays are highly versatile, relatively low cost, and readily available, which is why they have been the power source of choice for the vast majority of NASA's space science missions so far, from the Sun's corona at 0.04 AU to the orbit of Jupiter at 5.5 AU. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory is currently investigating whether the capability range of solar arrays can be viably extended even further out into deep space, all the way to the orbit of Saturn at 9.5 AU, and possibly beyond. We therefore set out to develop a solar array technology that is optimized for operating in deep space, thereby promising substantial mass and cost savings relative to currently available power sources. This paper summarizes recent progress we have made towards developing a solar array capable of ~3 W/kg end of mission specific power at Saturn, and towards demonstrating its performance in the relevant environment.