7 November 2011

Emcore awarded solar panel contract for NASA’s LADEE moon orbiter

Emcore Corp of Albuquerque, NM, USA, which makes compound semiconductor-based components and subsystems for the fiber-optic and solar power markets, has been awarded a contract by ASRC Research and Technology Solutions (ARTS) of Greenbelt, MD for the design, manufacturing and delivery of 32 solar panels for NASA Ames’ Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) mission.

LADEE is a robotic mission designed to orbit the Moon. Its main objective is to study and characterize the lunar atmosphere, including fine dust particles suspended above the lunar surface. The spacecraft is currently scheduled to be launched in early 2013 aboard a Minotaur V vehicle from the Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, VI.

“Emcore has previously been awarded solar panel contracts for several other NASA missions, including the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and the Magnetospheric Multi-Scale (MMS) missions,” says chief operating officer Christopher Larocca. “We appreciate NASA’s continued confidence in Emcore to supply solar panels for their demanding spacecraft power systems,” he adds.

Emcore claims to be the leading manufacturer of highly efficient radiation-hard solar cells for space power applications. With a beginning-of-life (BOL) conversion efficiency nearing 30% and the option for a patented, onboard monolithic bypass diode, its multi-junction solar cells power interplanetary spacecraft and earth orbiting satellites.

Tags: Emcore Solar panel

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