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What are the similarities and differences between nanosatellite solar cells and microsatellite solar
The solar cells of nanosatellites (usually weighing less than 10 kilograms) and microsatellites (weighing 10-100 kilograms) share the same core function - both providing electrical energy to satellites. However, due to differences in size, mission requirements, and technological limitations, there are significant similarities and differences in their design, performance, and other aspects.
1.Similarities
Consistent core functions
All of them convert sunlight into electrical energy through the photoelectric effect, providing power for satellite payloads (such as sensors and communication equipment) and platform systems (such as attitude control and temperature control). At the same time, they cooperate with batteries to store electrical energy to cope with shadow periods (such as when the Earth blocks sunlight).
Adaptive design relying on spatial environment
Must withstand extreme conditions in space:
Extreme temperature changes (-150 ℃ to+120 ℃);
Cosmic radiation (such as proton and electron bombardment);
Micro meteorite impact and vacuum environment (to avoid material aging or performance degradation).
Mainstream technology routes overlap
The main materials used are monocrystalline silicon, polycrystalline silicon, or triple junction gallium arsenide (GaAs). Among them, triple junction gallium arsenide is the preferred high-end solution for both due to its high conversion efficiency (about 30% -35% on the ground and even higher in space environments) and strong radiation resistance.
2.Different points
Dimensional nanosatellite solar cells, microsatellite solar cells
The size and integration area are small (usually<0.1 ㎡), and it needs to be highly integrated with the satellite structure (such as attached to the satellite surface, foldable wings, or "body mounted" design). The weight is strictly limited (single battery<10g). Large area (0.1-1 ㎡), can use independent unfolding solar wings (such as hinged folding, unfolded after entering the track), with loose weight restrictions (single battery<100g).
The power demand and efficiency are low (usually<10W), but the requirement for specific power (power per unit weight) is extremely high (>100W/kg). Therefore, lightweight and efficient flexible batteries (such as thin-film gallium arsenide) are preferred. Medium power demand (10-100W), with a greater emphasis on absolute power output, can be compensated for by increasing the battery area to compensate for efficiency differences. Rigid substrate batteries (such as monocrystalline silicon) are more common.
Anti radiation and short lifespan mission cycle (usually<3 years), simplified anti radiation design (such as reducing radiation shielding layers), and material selection focuses more on lightweight rather than long-term stability. The task cycle is relatively long (3-10 years), and it is necessary to strengthen the anti radiation design (such as adding radiation shielding layers and selecting radiation resistant materials), and the battery life needs to match the overall satellite life.
Cost and mass production are cost sensitive (with a single star cost typically less than $1 million), and tend to favor low-cost, standardized components (such as commercial shelf products COTS) that support mass production (such as CubeSat's 1U/3U standard solar panels). The cost is moderate (with a single satellite cost of 1-5 million US dollars), and customized design is acceptable (such as optimizing battery angles based on orbital inclination). The mass production scale is smaller than that of nanosatellites, but the performance redundancy is higher.
Orbital adaptability is mostly deployed in low orbit (LEO,<1000km), with stable lighting conditions (short orbital period, low proportion of shadow period), and battery design does not require complex solar tracking functions. It may be deployed in medium orbit (MEO) or high orbit (GEO), with more complex lighting conditions (such as GEO satellites needing to face long-term changes in the sun's angle), and some require a solar tracking system to improve power generation efficiency.
3.Typical application cases
Nanosatellites, such as CubeSat (1U size, 10cm x 10cm x 10cm), typically have solar cells attached to six outer surfaces and use flexible thin-film cells (such as SolAero's thin-film GaAs cells), with a single satellite power of approximately 5-10W.
Microsatellites: such as Planet Labs' Dove satellite (weighing approximately 5kg, classified as a "micro nano satellite" transition type), using deployed solar wings with a power of approximately 30W, supporting high-resolution imaging payload operation.
4.Summary
The core contradiction of nanosatellite solar cells is "small size and high specific power", which needs to compromise on extreme lightweight and integration; Microsatellites are more balanced in terms of power output and cost, and can meet medium power requirements through larger areas and more mature designs. The difference between the two is essentially a direct reflection of satellite size, mission cycle, and cost constraints.
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