MegaFlex - The Scaling Potential of UltraFlex Technology

NASA has near-term needs for solar electric propulsion power sources from 5 to 30 kW and longer term goals for SEP tugs as large as 300 kW and beyond. UltraFlex is a high-TRL solar array technology that spans the initial range of power levels with unmatched performance in specific power, stiffness, and strength. This technology has been to Mars and is the baseline for the NASA Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV), as well as upcoming flights of the Orbital Cygnus spacecraft for Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) to the space station. MegaFlex is UltraFlex technology, with two enhancements to the compaction of stowage to allow a two-wing configuration to provide power levels from 10 kW to 1 MW with near-term multi-junction cell efficiencies. This technology elegantly meets the SEP technology development need for true scalability, with a high-performance solution that uniquely allows for complete ground test and validation of up to a 350 kW array wing in existing facilities. Given the compaction capabilities of MegaFlex, it is an enabling technology for any kilowatt level where the power needed is more than the stowage volume allows with standard UltraFlex or alternate approaches. MegaFlex achieves similar performance characteristics as UltraFlex with specific power up to 200 W/kg and also higher stiffness (>3x) and strength (>5x) than conventional arrays.

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