The generation, storage, and distribution of electrical power on a spacecraft.
Electrical Power Systems: This topic covers the fundamental principles of electrical power generation, storage, conversion, and distribution in spacecraft.
Solar Energy Harvesting: This topic entails the design, development, and implementation of solar panels or modules for the conversion of solar energy into usable power for a spacecraft.
Batteries and Energy Storage: This topic covers the design and operation of various energy storage technologies like batteries, capacitors, and fuel cells for spacecraft power systems.
Power System Control and Management: This topic covers the design and operation of control and management systems for electrical power systems, such as load balancing, fault detection, and isolation.
Power System Protection: This topic covers the various methods used to protect spacecraft against electrical surges and overloads, including fuses, breakers, and other protective devices.
Power Distribution Networks: This topic covers the design, development, and operation of power distribution networks that move electrical power around the spacecraft to where it is needed most.
Power Conversion Electronics: This topic covers the design and operation of power electronics that facilitate the conversion of electrical power from one form to another, such as DC-DC conversion or voltage regulation.
Spacecraft Power Budget: This topic covers the estimation of total power requirements for a given mission and how it influences the selection of electrical power system components.
Spacecraft Charging: This topic covers the effects of solar radiation and other forms of ionizing radiation in space that can cause electric charge buildup and electrical breakdowns in spacecraft.
Electromagnetic Compatibility: This topic covers electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) in spacecraft power systems, including the effects of EMC on the performance of electronics and other spacecraft components.
Energy Harvesting from Waste Heat: This topic entails capturing waste heat emitted by spacecraft components and converting it into usable electrical energy.
Power System Thermal Management: This topic covers the design and implementation of thermal management systems used to regulate the temperature of spacecraft power systems and ensure proper operation.
Power System Reliability: This topic covers the key factors that contribute to the reliability of spacecraft electrical power systems, including failure analysis, testing, and quality control.
Electrical Propulsion: This topic covers the usage of electrical power to propel spacecraft by employing ion or plasma thrusters.
Environmental Constraints: This topic covers the environmental constraints that impact the design and operation of electrical power systems in space, such as temperature extremes, radiation, and vacuum conditions.
Solar Power System: This type of system uses solar panels to convert sunlight into electricity, which is then used to power the spacecraft.
Nuclear Power System: This type of system uses nuclear reactions to generate electricity, which is then used to power the spacecraft. Examples include Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) and Nuclear Electric Propulsion (NEP) systems.
Fuel Cell Power System: This type of system uses a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen to generate electricity, which is then used to power the spacecraft.
Battery Power System: This type of system uses batteries to store electrical energy, which is then used to power the spacecraft. Batteries can be recharged using solar panels or other power sources.
Radioisotope Power System: This type of system uses radioactive isotopes to generate heat, which is then used to generate electricity. Examples include RTGs and Stirling radioisotope generators.
Hybrid Power System: This type of system combines two or more power sources to generate electricity. For example, a spacecraft might use solar panels during the day and batteries at night.
Laser Power System: This type of system uses lasers to beam power to the spacecraft, which then converts the energy into electricity.
Tethers: This type of system uses a conducting cable extended from a spacecraft to create electricity by exploiting the Earth's magnetic field. The cable acts as a giant electric generator, converting kinetic energy into electrical energy.
Thermoelectric Power System: This type of system converts heat into electricity using materials that generate electricity from temperature differences.
Thermal Power System: This type of system uses heat from the spacecraft's propulsion system to generate electricity.
Power Beaming: This type of system uses microwave or laser beams to beam power from a ground-based source to the spacecraft.
Dynamic Charging: The spacecraft itself is the energy storage medium, and the energy is harvested from the environment around the craft through forms of propulsion, such as tether propulsion or ion thrusters, that convert energy directly into motion.