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Batteries are used on spacecraft as a means of power storage. Primary batteries contain all their usable energy when assembled and can only be discharged. Secondary batteries can be recharged from some other energy source, such as solar panels or radioisotope-based power (), and can deliver power during periods when the space vehicle is out of direct sunlight.
Ni-H2 batteries on the P6 truss were replaced in 2009 and 2010 with more Ni-H2 batteries brought by Space Shuttle missions. [25] The nickel-hydrogen batteries had a design life of 6.5 years and could exceed 38,000 charge/discharge cycles at 35% depth of discharge. They were replaced multiple times during the expected 30-year life of the station.
This is a list of spacecraft powered by non-rechargeable batteries.While most spacecraft are powered by longer-lasting power sources such as solar cells or radioisotope thermoelectric generators, which can provide power for years to decades, some have been powered by primary (non-rechargeable) electrochemical cells, which provide runtimes of minutes to months.
A thermionic converter consists of a hot electrode, which thermionically emits electrons over a space-charge barrier to a cooler electrode, producing a useful power output. Caesium vapor is used to optimize the electrode work functions and provide an ion supply (by surface ionization) to neutralize the electron space charge. [6]
Changing batteries in orbit took some huffing and puffing and some intricate maneuvering by two spacewalkers Friday. But in the end, it went almost as smoothly as doing the chore back on Earth.
Space exploration missions require safe, reliable, long-lived power systems to provide electricity and heat to spacecraft and their science instruments. A uniquely capable source of power is the radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) – essentially a nuclear battery that reliably converts heat into electricity. [ 2 ]
Because of their high specific power, NaS batteries have been proposed for space applications. [8] [9] An NaS battery for space use was successfully tested on the Space Shuttle mission STS-87 in 1997, [10] but the batteries have not been used operationally in space. NaS batteries have been proposed for use in the high-temperature environment of ...
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