Sierra Space opens Power Station Solar Tech Center in Colorado to stimulate defense production
Sierra Space has launched a new facility in Broomfield, Colorado, to increase the production of its Surface Mount Technology (SMT) Zonne energy systems, including those for national defense applications. The ‘power station’, a complex of 70,000 square feet, is designed to meet the growing demand for powerful, defense-raved solar arroys and supplements Sierra Space’s newly formed defense division and victory works satellite plant.
The $ 45 million power plant has advanced tools, thermal vacuum and air chambers and a fully dynamic class laboratory for vibrations and pyroshock tests. With capacity for large -scale, fast output, the company wants to produce one solar panel per day and up to 100 satellite wings per year.
“Sierra room is the sector of the space distribution sector again industrialized,” says Erik Daehler, vice-president at Sierra Space. “We have the opportunity to build a solar panel per day, and a wing per week. We are planning to deliver 40 satellite wings in the first phase of production and scales up to 100 satellites wings per year through our entire production. Moreover, because of our unique architecture, our solar arrays are more resurrious.
The SMT arroys produced in the power plant contain highly efficient multi-junction MWT-Micro cells attached to printed printed circuit boards using standard pick-and-place robotics. This allows automated assembly, improved power density and shorter production times, which helps Sierra area to the requirements of emerging satellite constellations.
“With the help of state-of-the-art tools and integration equipment, our engineering and production teams have the expertise and experience to define, analyze, build and test complete solar salation systems,” said Brian Anthony, vice-president of spacecraft. “Our scalable energy systems can be adapted to a wide range of mission options with reduced cycling time and risk by including existing qualified and flights proven designs. With this new production facility that comes online, Sierra Space is ready to meet the needs of the fast satellite gear market and spacecraft.”
Currently use of more than 100 employees on site, Sierra Space’s Solar Solutions overstrain power outputs from 10 watts to 10 kilowatts and include integrated components such as slip rings, motor controls and deployable mechanisms. These progress mark an important milestone, since the company celebrates 35 years in the room sub -system sector.
