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Airborne has been awarded the contract by Airbus Defence and Space Netherlands to develop a new generation of substrate panels for Sparkwing solar arrays. Sparkwing is the world’s first commercially available off-the-shelf solar array for smallsats. The Sparkwing solar arrays are standardised building blocks to minimize the effort from satellite order to orbit.
As the European market leader in manufacturing solar array substrate panels, Airborne is excited about this opportunity at the forefront of the booming commercial smallsat market. From our 15 years of experience in the space industry, we know first-hand that solar arrays are traditionally custom designed and built for almost every single space platform. Recent rapid developments in the smallsat market – which has the biggest growth potential in the market today – require a more ‘commercial off-the-shelf’ (COTS) approach.
Catering to all LEO applications
With Sparkwing, Airbus Defence and Space Netherlands will offer a standardised and cost-efficient solution for all possible smallsat applications in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). These range from individual small satellites to large constellations comprised of hundreds of smallsats. Airbus Defence and Space Netherlands’ unique 3-step approach allows customers to choose and order their desired configuration from a catalogue, track and trace the progress of the manufacturing process and plug the solar array to their spacecraft.
Strong Partnership
Airbus Defence and Space Netherlands is responsible for the design, qualification, and integration of the Sparkwing solar array system using substrate panels delivered by Airborne. The strong partnership between Airborne and Airbus Defence and Space Netherlands to deliver substrate panels for satellites goes back almost 15 years. Airbus Defence and Space Netherlands has selected Airborne for our expertise to develop and realize a standardised, cost-efficient production process using our automated solutions that really make a difference.
Automated Laminating Cell
For the production of the Sparkwing substrate panels, Airborne will use its expertise to realise various material and process optimizations specifically designed for smallsats. Furthermore, as part of its long-term vision on the substrate manufacturing process, Airborne will explore the possibilities of its automated solutions such as the Automated Laminating Cell (ALC). This is a multifunctional system that combines robotised tape laying, preform cutting, and pick-and-place to deliver a bespoke blank. On its own, or combined with other automated processes, it increases the productivity of the lamination team, ensures repeatable processing and enables a seamless transition from design to manufacturing via Airborne’s automated workflow, as process robustness is key.
Optimized for LEO missions
Sparkwing is optimised for LEO missions requiring power levels between 100W and 2000W, and bus voltages of 36V or 50V. Airborne will supply Airbus Defence and Space Netherlands with substrate panels in 10 different sizes to realize more than 30 different solar panel configurations, using deployable wings with one, two or three panels per wing. With an operational lifetime of at least 5 years, Sparkwing is ready to support the exciting new world of commercial aerospace.
Interested to learn more?
On August 6th 2020, at 17:00 (CEST) = 9:00 (MDT), as part of the virtual Small Satellite Conference, the Sparkwing team will give an online presentation about realising solar arrays as a standardised COTS component.
For other questions or inquiries, please contact Sandor Woldendorp:
Sandor Woldendorp
Business Unit Director Aerospace
Mob: +31 6 2774 1431
Email: s.woldendorp@airborne.com
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