NASA unveiled a prototype system for origami photocells spacecraft

Despite the fact that the efficiency of solar cells is growing, due to the emergence of new technologies and developments, to ensure the spacecraft enough energy requires large area solar cells. It is clear that the usual "umbrella" of solar panels in the unfolded state does not send into space. So we have to invent new ways and methods to reduce the area of ​​the folded panels and sound system of their deployment in outer space.

On one such system Habré already wrote : a team of engineers from BYU (Brigham Young University), with the involvement of physics Robert Lang, a specialist in & quot; scientific origami & quot ;, started work on finding effective ways of folding / unfolding solar panels.

Even at the end of last year, Robert Lang and space devices, developers have started to work on the project of solar cell thickness of 1 cm, diameter of the entire system in the folded state of 2, 7 meters. In the unfolded state of the system is increased to a diameter of 25 meters, which allows solar panel to produce about 250 kilowatts of power. That's enough to supply the three ISS.



Now this team joined experts from NASA , interested in the project. Recently, developers have demonstrated a prototype system on the scale of 1/20, compared with the estimated size of the proposed system.

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According to scientists, these systems origami can be used not only for large spacecraft, but also for portable type satellites CubeSats. Moreover, the principle of origami can be used to create a folding antenna systems. All this can radically change the design of some of the basic elements of space devices.





The project needs some more time, but as we can see, the prototype is already there, so that such a system, we think, is very real.

Via nasa

Source: habrahabr.ru/post/233629/