Lithium-Ion Batteries On-board EADS Astrium Satellites Perform Successfully

TOULOUSE, France, Oct. 14, 2005/Satnews Daily/ — The Li-Ion batteries on-board two EADS Astrium-built Eurostar satellites have just successfully passed another eclipse season, bringing the total to seven eclipse seasons accumulated by the two satellites. EADS Astrium said 19 months ago, the company was the first satellite manufacturer to introduce Li-Ion batteries on board commercial satellites.

Communications satellites in geostationary orbit rely on batteries to provide power when the solar array and the satellite are in eclipse - this happens twice a year, roughly three weeks before and three weeks after each spring and autumn equinox. The batteries need to supply all spacecraft power for 72 minutes for the longest eclipse in a season. The last, shorter duration eclipse of the 2005 autumn season was completed on 13 October and all four 9 kWh Li-Ion batteries on-board two EADS Astrium-built satellites in commercial service, performed fully satisfactory, the company said.

Li-Ion batteries are designed and assembled by EADS Astrium in Toulouse, based on cell Module assemblies manufactured by SAFT. EADS Astrium’s innovative and flexible battery design features a remarkably stable thermal environment not sensitive to seasonal changes. EADS monitors the in-flight operation of the batteries, which includes highly autonomous and safe management of charge and balancing operations.

The Eurostar E3000 platform is designed to carry either Nickel-Hydrogen (NiH2) or Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) batteries. Li-Ion technology offers considerable advantages over NiH2. In particular, it is twice as efficient, saving several hundreds of kilograms on the satellites, up to 10% of the launch mass. Operators are increasingly interested in this technology.

EADS said including spacecraft in production, a total of 10 Lithium-Ion batteries have already been manufactured and successfully tested by EADS Astrium. The results of the qualification program and in-orbit performance, prove that Li-Ion technology is effective and reliable for use on GEO communications satellites. Being the first contractor, and until recently the only one, to have successfully flown Li-Ion batteries on commercial satellites, EADS Astrium has again led the way and gained unrivalled experience in this new and promising technology.

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