Test system can emulate the behaviour of satellite photovoltaic arrays with high fidelity across all conditions encountered in space
Keysight Technologies is now producing the MP4300A Series Modular Solar Array Simulator (SAS) to emulate the behaviour of photovoltaic (PV) segments. The SAS system simulates all the conditions that a craft or satellite will encounter in space with high fidelity.
Launching solar-powered spacecraft or satellites is incredibly expensive, with little possibility of recovery or repair. These vehicles must have efficient and reliable power management systems, which often cannot be tested by using actual solar panels to provide power. Engineers must have a test solution that can verify a spacecraft’s power management system through high fidelity PV emulation.
Keysight’s new MP4300A SAS addresses this challenge with a 6kW modular power supply, supporting fast current-voltage (I-V) curve changes with a quick recovery time that mimics rapidly changing conditions in space.
According to Greg Patschke, General Manager of Keysight’s Aerospace Defence and Government Solutions group, analyzing power generation is an important part of the satellite design and validation process.
“With the MP4300 series, Keysight gives engineers the solution they need to accurately emulate conditions in space and accelerate the testing of new PV array designs, speeding time-to-market, and reducing the risk of failure after deployment,” he says.
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