Batteries for Aerospace and Communications Satellites

Nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) batteries were widely deployed by earlier communication satellites and spacecrafts from I960 to 1995. When advanced designs of nickel-hydrogen (Ni-Hj) batteries were available in early 2000, most of the satellites and spacecrafts preferred to use Ni-H2 batteries. These batteries will be described in detail with an emphasis on reliability and improved electrical performance. For short mission satellites and LEO communication satellites, both the Ni-Cd and Ni-Hj batteries are still being used. 

The dark period experienced by a satellite is known as satellite eclipse during which the local time is a serious consideration for receiving audio video signal from the satellite. The maximum eclipse duration, when the satellite is in the earth s shadow at the season of the equinoxes, is typically 72 minutes, and its peak is passed at the apparent solar midnight for a point at the same longitude as the satellite. 

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Space program managers have seriously considered Ni-Hj batteries for communication satellites. These batteries were originally developed for aerospace applications and have been in continuous development since the early 1970s for satellite... 

Lithium-sulfur-dioxide primary batteries are most ideal for military, aerospace, and satellite communications. These low-cost batteries are best suited for applications in which high pulse-power capability and a wide operating temperature range (from -55 to +70 C) are the basic performance requirements. 

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