Space Solar Arrays

MMA Space has developed a low-cost solar array capable of generating tens of kilowatts that can be manufactured in a fraction of the time of a conventional solar arrays. FlexArray utilizes proprietary thin-film membranes to mount and deploy next-generation, affordable silicon solar cells. It is capable of deploying very large areas while not sacrificing power generation or mass.

This new approach comes at a fraction of the cost of a traditional solar array especially when populated with next-gen silicon solar cells. The Flexarray system, however, is cell agnostic and can leverage any traditional solar cells desired. Flexarray can be produced at high volumes and is tailored for constellation platforms.

As satellite capabilities continue to increase, so does the demand for more power at a lower cost. For years, MMA Space has led the industry in high performance, traditional rigid-panel solar arrays that maximize peak power for a given stowed envelope. In recent years, access to traditional solar cells has become increasingly more challenging and costly. In response to these market realities, MMA has developed a lower-cost solar array that can be delivered in much faster lead times – the MMA Space FlexArray. 

This solar array system utilizes a flexible substrate to mount and deploy silicon solar cells. MMA combats the lower efficiency of the silicon solar cells by creating larger deployed areas, enabled by MMA’s heritage in flexible membranes, slit tubes, and slit tube deployer technologies.

All core subsystems comprising the new FlexArray have been flight proven. And the
Flexarray system has undergone rigorous ground qualification testing, including thermal and vibration, raising the system to TRL 6.

This solar array delivers 330W from a single deployed wing. A novel, controlled deployment sequence is used to achieve the 9-panel active surface for a 24U DoD CubeSat, maximizing power output over a single wing. 330W is roughly 50% more power than MMA’s heritage high-power CubeSat array for 2-wing systems. This is, to our knowledge, the largest deployable solar array of its kind ever to fly on a CubeSat.

MMA has designed and delivered solar arrays for a wide variety of DoD mission environments including VLEO, LEO, CisLunar and GEO orbits as well as the interplanetary arrays flown on NASA’s MarCO mission and several Lunar surface arrays for rovers and other exploration.

MMA’s High Watts per Kilogram “HaWK” Solar Arrays are the most powerful, reliable, customizable solar arrays on the market. With a very broad range of existing, flight heritage configurations, our HaWKs are flexible enough for any power requirements, space environment, or mission needs. Whether you need one or hundreds for your constellation, all of our Solar Arrays are 100% engineered and manufactured at our headquarters in Colorado.

From 36 W to 330 W, MMA HaWKs have been instrumental in supporting wide-ranging space power needs for critical defense, exploration, and commercial missions.

Headed to the Moon’s surface are highly customized solar arrays designed for Lunar rovers. Not only are these deployable and nondeployable wings shaped to the design of the rover vehicle, but they are optimized for the harsh environment of the Moon’s regolith-covered surface.

Deployable and/or body mounted arrays are designed, manufactured and tested to ensure surviveability and optimal power output as they explore the darkest corners, power scientific discovery, and enable critical development of a Moon infrastructure.

For missions where packing factor is not essential,  MMA offers arrays that utilize conventional honeycomb sandwich panels to support small satellite platforms.

These high-power deployable solar arrays are capable of generating 700W per wing (1400W per system BOL per satellite). Designed with producibility in mind from the start, these arrays leverage a modular approach to enable rapid manufacturing and scalability. MMA delivers integrated solar array assemblies that incorporate restraint/release mechanisms, deployment mechanisms, and solar array drives and associated control electronics as required

MMA has increased our production capacity for high-volume production on tight schedules, and scaled our designs to support larger satellite platforms with the power they require. Like our smaller arrays, MMA delivers fully integrated solutions that incorporate many of our high packing factor technologies, as well as conventional rigid panel designs, and leverage flight-proven subsystems to ensure reliability.