Lift-off Aboard NASA’s ‘ST5’ ‘Maiden Voyage’
24th March 2006
ABSL Space Products (formerly AEA Technology Space) notches up another first in space science and technology today as NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre’s (GSFC) Pegasus XL rocket lifts off successfully on the maiden voyage of its Space Technology 5 (ST5) project, which will employ ABSL’s low weight Lithium-ion batteries compared with current NiCd and NiH2 aerospace batteries. Nineteen spacecraft have now been successfully powered by ABSL Lithium-ion batteries.
The ST5 project forms a key part of NASA’s New Millennium Programme (NMP) which was created to identify, develop, build, and test innovative technologies and concepts for infusion into future missions. The ST5 project is pushing ‘miniaturisation’ even further by building and testing three small satellites to test and validate new technologies for future science missions and aid scientists in understanding the harsh environment of the Earth’s magnetosphere. ABSL was selected for the programme due to its ability to provide Lithium-ion technology in a small light-weight battery module within an extremely demanding schedule.
The ST5 battery module will interface directly with the ST5 micro-satellite’s electrical power and distribution subsystem, and will provide sufficient telemetry to assess the health and safety of the battery during ground testing and on-orbit operations.
Rob Spurrett, Director of ABSL Space Products commented: “The launch success of ST5 demonstrates ABSL’s responsiveness to customer needs and its ability to deliver novel and flexible designs to meet the demanding schedule of this particular project. This and other recent successes underline ABSL’s key role in the space industry for space power and other equipment, where reliability, safety and life are of paramount importance”
Gopal Rao at NASA GSFC said: “ABSL’s ability to provide a Lithium-ion solution for the ST5 project proves the technology, and paves the way for Lithium-ion to be considered as a viable alternative technology for future NASA missions. In fact, following on from ST5, ABSL has already delivered Lithium-ion batteries for THEMIS and is building 120Ah hardware for SDO. Both of these programs are NASA GSFC missions.”
This concludes ABSL’s first aerospace contract with NASA GSFC and represents the first ABSL Lithium-ion battery, using the small cell concept, to be flown on a NASA orbiting satellite. It closely follows the successful launches of ABSL’s products on the GIOVE-A Galileo demonstrator satellite and EUMETSAT’s MSG-2 new generation of weather satellites in December 2005. These launches marked a milestone for ABSL as the key power provider in the future of European Satellite Navigation. GIOVE-A has just entered the first eclipse season and the 31V nominal 60Ah Lithium-ion battery is performing well.
ABSL is recognised as the world leader in the supply of Lithium-ion batteries for space applications with over forty-five space battery contracts. ABSL supplied the first rechargeable Lithium-ion battery flown in space and a total of nineteen spacecraft are now using its Lithium-ion technology. More than 2100 cell-years of space operation have been built up without a single failure.
--Ends--
For media information please contact:
Rob Spurrett (UK) T: +44 1865 408 747 E:
Chris Pearson (USA) T: +1 303-241-1229 E:
Notes To Editors:
ABSL Space Products (formerly AEA Technology Space)
ABSL Space Products is a trading name of ABSL Power Solutions Limited, which is one of nine companies acquired by Coller Capital from AEA Technology plc in October 2005. This change offers ABSL Space Products a huge opportunity to grow and develop the business to achieve its ambitions.
ABSL Space Products is the world leader in the supply of Lithium-ion batteries for space applications with over forty-five space battery contracts. ABSL supplied the first rechargeable Lithium-ion battery flown in space and a total of nineteen spacecraft in orbit are now using ABSL Lithium-ion battery technology.
ABSL has built up a global customer base, winning major contracts from NASA, ESA, and major prime manufacturers in North America, Europe and the rest of the world.
ABSL has demonstrated in orbit the most reliable Lithium-ion product available for the space market by clocking up over 2100 cell years of space operation without failure.
ABSL has pioneered a battery design concept that is uniquely flexible. As well as being selected for very large space battery applications (such as the 400KWh unit for the NASA Space Shuttle), ABSL�s �small-cell� concept has become the natural choice for many satellite applications.
ABSL has been active in the space industry since the 1960s during the early days of ion-thruster development. During the 1980s, ABSL was the largest non-US subcontractor to the United States Strategic Development Initiative (SDI). More recently, effort has been focused on its power and optical products, such as LIDAR and infrared calibration systems.
ABSL is working on the next generation of Lithium-ion technology to increase battery level energy density to over 150Wh/kg.
Science & Technology 5 - Nanosat & the New Millennium Programme (NMP)
NASA’s Space Technology 5 (ST5) Project is building and testing three smaller satellites called micro-satellites to test innovative concepts and technologies in the harsh environment of space for future science missions. During flight validation of its technologies, ST5 may measure the effect of solar activity on the Earth’s magnetosphere, the region of upper atmosphere that surrounds our planet.
The hope is that ST5 will demonstrate the benefits of a group of small low-cost spacecraft taking measurements at the same time in different locations. ST5 is scheduled to operate in space for at least 90 days.
The ST5 Project is a part of NASA’s New Millennium Program, which was created to identify, develop, build, and test innovative technologies and concepts for use in future missions. Its missions are guided by future needs of NASA’s Earth and Space Science program.
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)
The NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is located in a Maryland suburb outside of Washington, DC. It is NASA�s largest Field Center and has scientists and engineers dedicated to learning and sharing their knowledge of the Earth, solar system, and Universe. The mission of the NASA GSFC is to expand knowledge of the Earth and its environment, the solar system and the universe through observations from space. NASA GSFC is committed to excellence in scientific investigation, in the development and operation of space systems and in the advancement of essential technologies.
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