#A day in space station software#
#A day in space station code#
#A day in space station series#

The space station's electrical power system uses eight photovoltaic solar arrays to convert sunlight to electricity.

#A day in space station code#

How does the power system respond when equipment is turned on and off?Ī detailed mission profile is constructed and assessed with the SPACE code to ensure that the power system design can support the planned mission.

How is the power level affected by station on-orbit configurations, visiting vehicles, flight attitudes and orbits and solar array shadowing?.

Using SPACE, Glenn supports the space station program by answering questions such as: The code includes mathematical models of the solar array, batteries and power management and distribution equipment. The System Power Analysis for Capability Evaluation (SPACE) computer code was developed as a tool to predict the maximum power level that the station power system could produce and sustain throughout the sunlight and shade portions of a specific orbit. Space station assembly was completed in 2010. Sets of solar arrays and integrated equipment assemblies of batteries and other portions of the Electric Power System (EPS) were launched and deployed in 2000, 2006, 20. The first elements of the station were launched in late 1999. Engineers at Glenn combined state-of-the-art electrical designs with complex computer-aided analyses. It was the NASA center initially responsible for designing the space station power system-the largest power system ever constructed in space. NASA's Glenn Research Center has decades of experience in designing, building and testing space power systems. The converters also isolate the secondary system from the primary system and maintain uniform power quality throughout the station. To meet operational requirements, dc-to-dc converter units step down and condition the voltage from 160 to 120 volts dc to form a secondary power system to service the loads.

#A day in space station software#

These switches have built-in microprocessors that are controlled by software and are connected to a computer network running throughout the station.

#A day in space station series#

The power management and distribution subsystem disburses power at 160 volts of direct current (abbreviated as 'dc') around the station through a series of switches. The radiators are shaded from sunlight and aligned toward the cold void of deep space. The station's power system uses radiators to direct the heat away from the spacecraft. This heat must be eliminated for reliable operation of the space station in orbit. The process of collecting sunlight, converting it to electricity and managing and distributing this electricity builds up excess heat that can damage spacecraft equipment. During the sunlit part of the orbit, the batteries are recharged. The batteries ensure that the station is never without power to sustain life support systems and experiments. Therefore, the space station relies on nickel-hydrogen rechargeable batteries to provide continuous power during the eclipse part of the orbit. Large numbers of cells are assembled in arrays to produce high power levels.Ī spacecraft orbiting the Earth,however,is not always in direct sunlight. One method of harnessing this energy, called photovoltaics, uses purified silicon solar cells to directly convert light to electricity. Since the only readily available source of energy for spacecraft is sunlight, NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland has pioneered, and continues to develop, technologies to efficiently convert solar energy to electrical power. Whether it is used to power the life support system, run a furnace that makes crystals, manage a computerized data network or operate a centrifuge, electricity is essential. Image credit: NASA What's in a Space Power System?Įlectrical power is the most critical resource for the International Space Station because it allows the crew to live comfortably, to safely operate the station and to perform scientific experiments. The space station, including its large solar array, spans the area of a U.S. The International Space Station is featured in this image photographed by an STS–132 crew member on the Space Shuttle Atlantis after undocking from the Station May 2010. NASA Glenn Contributions to the International Space Station (ISS) Electrical Power System