Are lithium-ion batteries good for space?

“The performance of these batteries hit a plateau, and did not increase,” noted Henri Barde, former head of the Power Systems, EMC & Space Environment Division, giving a plenary session. “By contrast the performance of lithium-ion batteries for space continues to grow.”

Can lithium-ion batteries power spacesuits?

“In the case of space, lithium-ion batteries have entirely supplanted previous battery technologies – they are even used to power International Space Station spacesuits,” explains Véronique Ferlet-Cavrois, Head of ESA’s Power Systems, EMC and Space Environment Division.

Are Li-ion batteries safe for space applications?

Due to the extreme importance of appropriate design, test, and hazard control of Li-ion batteries, it is recommended that all Government and industry users and vendors of this technology for space applications, especially involving humans, use this document for appropriate guidance prior to implementing the technology.

What is a space battery?

This battery is composed of COTS Li-ion cells. The predesign fulfills mechanical requirements. Space systems require technologies intended for power generation and management most of the time. Within the Electric Power Subsystem, one or a group of several batteries conform the secondary power source of a space mission.

What batteries are used in space?

The primary batteries used for space applications include Ag Zn, Li-SO 2, Li-SOCl 2, Li-BC X, Li-CFx, and secondary rechargeable batteries are Ag Zn Ni Cd, Ni H 2, and Li-ion. In these battery systems, the Ag Zn battery was used in the early days of space missions such as the Russian spacecraft “Sputnik” and the US spacecraft “Ranger 3” .

When were lithium-ion batteries first used in space?

The first lithium-ion batteries on a commercial European space mission were flown on Eutelsat’s W3A telecommunication satellite in 2004. “I was the W3A satellite’s programme manager,” recalled Arnaud de Rosnay, Chief Technology Officer of Airbus Defence and Space, speaking at this month’s European Space Power Conference in the south of France.