MSI contracted Saft to provide rechargeable Li-ion batteries for the 18 satellites the company is building for ORBCOMM’s Generation 2 (OG2) constellation program. MSI offers high-performance microsatellites and spacecraft subsystems for military, government, and commercial customers and delivers reliable, cost-effective satellites that can stand alone or supplement existing satellite systems to accommodate a range of new mission applications. The OG2 satellites will be based on the same design MSI developed for NASA’s TacSat-2 satellite, a modular, reliable bus capable of accommodating a large payload mass. Each OG2 satellite will be equipped with an enhanced communications payload designed to increase subscriber capacity by up to 12 times more than the current ORBCOMM satellites, who currently operates 29 satellites in six orbital planes, providing worldwide coverage for its customers.
In order to retain the relatively small size of ORBCOMM’s LEO satellites, the satellite must be able to operate under significantly lower power requirements than geostationary satellites. Specifically designed for space applications, Saft’s high voltage Li-ion cells enable the satellite to carry a larger payload byreducing an average 50 percent of its weight. Additionally, Li-ion’s low thermal power and high energy efficiency enables installation of smaller solar panels and battery radiators, further reducing critical weight of the satellite. Saft will deliver its medium prismatic (MP) microsatellite batteries beginning in 2009. The rechargeable batteries will provide power to the satellite when it is blocked from the sun.