The Sun to Power the Starliner
November 15, 2016 | DARPAEstimated reading time: 1 minute
Boeing will use solar energy to power the company’s CST-100 Starliner for crew missions to and from the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The sun’s energy offers a reliable and efficient power source for the Starliner just as it does for the space station and satellites.
The Starliner will use solar cells made of three distinct cell layers to capture different portions of the energy spectrum to convert solar energy into more than 2,900 watts of usable electricity and allow astronauts to complete their journey to the orbiting laboratory. The system also will create enough power to run the Starliner’s systems while it is docked to the station for roughly six months at a time. The solar cells will be incorporated into the micro-meteoroid debris shield located at the bottom of the spacecraft’s service module. Spectrolab in Sylmar, California, is supplying the more than 3,500 solar cells for each spacecraft.
NASA’s Commercial Crew Program has partnered with private companies, Boeing and SpaceX, to take astronauts to and from the space station. Each company is building their own unique systems to meet NASA mission and safety requirements, and will return human launch capabilities to American soil.
Editor's note: This article was originally posted on Steven Siceloff's blog at NASA.gov.
Suggested Items
Intel Announces New Program for AI PC Software Developers and Hardware Vendors
03/27/2024 | Intel CorporationIntel Corporation announced the creation of two new artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives as part of the AI PC Acceleration Program: the AI PC Developer Program and the addition of independent hardware vendors to the program.
SEMI ESD Alliance 2024 CEO Executive Outlook to Explore the Evolving RISC-V Movement and Semiconductor Design Ecosystem
03/27/2024 | SEMIKey executives from leading semiconductor EDA and IP companies will gather to discuss the latest industry trends, challenges and opportunities Thursday, May 9, in Santa Clara, California at the annual CEO Executive Outlook, hosted by the Electronic System Design Alliance (ESD Alliance), a SEMI Technology Community, and Keysight Technologies. Registration opens soon.
NextFlex Announces $5M Education Fundraising Effort: First Spotlight - Transforming the Landscape for Women in Technology
03/27/2024 | BUSINESS WIRENextFlex Learning Programs, the education-focused arm of the NextFlex® Hybrid Electronics Manufacturing Innovation Institute, announces its first spotlight effort, “NextFlex Supports Women in STEM” to increase the number of women in STEM fields, which could accelerate U.S. GDP growth by boosting women’s cumulative earnings by $299B and adding $5.9T to the global stock market within 10 years according to S&P Global.
Indium Corporation, Industry Partners to Showcase Products “Live@APEX”
03/26/2024 | Indium CorporationIndium Corporation®, in cooperation with its industry partners, will feature its proven solder solutions live on the show floor throughout IPC APEX Expo from Apr. 9‒11 in Anaheim, Calif., U.S.
Global Beam Telecom Joins Viasat’s ELEVATE Program to Provide Remote Connectivity and Industrial IoT
03/26/2024 | InmarsatViasat, Inc., a global leader in satellite communications, announced Global Beam Telecom, a global satcom solutions provider, has joined its ELEVATE program.