NASA LogoNTRSNTRS - NASA Technical Reports ServerSearchmore_vertCollectionsAboutNewsHelpLogin Back to ResultsThermal Cycling of Mir Cooperative Solar Array (MCSA) Test PanelsThe Mir Cooperative Solar Array (MCSA) project was a joint US/Russian effort to build a photovoltaic (PV) solar array and deliver it to the Russian space station Mir. The MCSA is currently being used to increase the electrical power on Mir and provide PV array performance data in support of Phase 1 of the International Space Station (ISS), which will use arrays based on the same solar cells used in the MCSA. The US supplied the photovoltaic power modules (PPMs) and provided technical and programmatic oversight while Russia provided the array support structures and deployment mechanism and built and tested the array. In order to ensure that there would be no problems with the interface between US and Russian hardware, an accelerated thermal life cycle test was performed at NASA Lewis Research Center on two representative samples of the MCSA. Over an eight-month period (August 1994 - March 1995), two 15-cell MCSA solar array 'mini' panel test articles were simultaneously put through 24,000 thermal cycles (+80 C to -100 C), equivalent to four years on-orbit. The test objectives, facility, procedure and results are described in this paper. Post-test inspection and evaluation revealed no significant degradation in the structural integrity of the test articles and no electrical degradation, not including one cell damaged early as an artifact of the test and removed from consideration. The interesting nature of the performance degradation caused by this one cell, which only occurred at elevated temperatures, is discussed. As a result of this test, changes were made to improve some aspects of the solar cell coupon-to-support frame interface on the flight unit. It was concluded from the results that the integration of the US solar cell modules with the Russian support structure would be able to withstand at least 24,000 thermal cycles (4 years on-orbit).Document ID19970028356Acquisition SourceLegacy CDMSDocument TypeTechnical Memorandum (TM)AuthorsHoffman, David J.*(NASA Lewis Research Center Cleveland, OH United States)*Scheiman, David A.*(NYMA, Inc. Brook Park, OH United States)*Date AcquiredSeptember 6, 2013Publication DateJuly 1, 1997Subject CategorySpacecraft Propulsion And PowerReport/Patent NumberNASA-TM-107511NAS 1.15:107511IECEC-97144E-10813Meeting InformationMeeting: Intersociety Energy Conversion EngineeringLocation: Honolulu, HICountry: United StatesStart Date: July 27, 1997End Date: August 1, 1997Sponsors:American Nuclear Society,American Inst. of Aeronautics and Astronautics,American Society of Mechanical Engineers,American Inst. of Chemical Engineers,Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers,Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc.Accession Number97N27144Funding Number(s)PROJECT: RTOP 478-12-10CONTRACT_GRANT: NAS3-27186Distribution LimitsPublicCopyrightWork of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.Available DownloadsNameType19970028356.pdfSTIcloud_downloadcontent_copyvisibilityRelated RecordsThere are no records associated with this record.visibility_offNo Preview Available
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