Design
| Enviro |
Astro | Propulsion
| Power | Thermal
| Structures | AD&C
| CDHS |
Test
Power
system design is driven by spacecraft electrical
demands
from propulsion, attitude determination and control,
thermal control, communications, data processing
and the payload.
Power
Solar
arrays are the
most popular method of generating electricity for
satellites orbiting the Earth and spacecraft that
stay within the inner planets, never venturing farther
than Mars.
RTGs
today are most commonly used
in spacecraft that travel to the outer planets and
beyond, where sunlight is not adequate for solar
arrays to produce enough electrical energy.
Batteries
store electrical energy as
chemical energy to supply spacecraft power requirements.
