CubeSat Solar Array — 222.8 W Deployable Panel System

Overview

A five-panel, 184-cell spacecraft solar array built on AZUR SPACE 3G30A triple-junction GaAs cells — sized, strung and routed for a 2-week LEO direct-solar-feed mission, delivered with a full design and specification report.

Challenge

Design a 222.8 W deployable solar array for a LEO CubeSat mission using triple-junction GaAs cells, compliant with GSFC-STD-7000 standards, across five panels with mixed string configurations.

Our Approach

• String architecture design across 5 panels (6S6P, 4S8P, 6S8P)
• Cell-level sizing and voltage budgeting for MPPT compatibility
• GSFC-STD-7000 grounding, bonding and ESD compliance
• CSS-10 sun sensor integration for attitude reference
• Deployable hinge mechanics with routed harness paths

Technical Highlights

• 184 cells across five panels delivering 222.8 W BOL @ 28°C
• AZUR SPACE 3G30A triple-junction GaAs (29.3% efficiency)
• GSFC-STD-7000 compliant grounding, bonding and ESD
• +4.8% margin over 212.6 W mission budget

Deliverables

• ✓Design & Specification Report (v4)
• ✓Complete string design documentation
• ✓Routing rules, grounding, bonding and ESD strategy
• ✓Panel layout drawings