Solar Array Simulator

Elgar SAS - Ametek VTI Instruments

A spacecraft solar array is subjected to large temperature excursions, varying insolation (the amount of sunlight falling on the array), mechanical changes and aging, which substantially effect both its short and long term performance. In order to test the spacecraft''''s power environment, a cost-effective solution for ground based testing is to utilize a solar array simulator. The Elgar SAS system reproduces all possible solar array outputs, based on the wide variety of input conditions that an array faces, including orbital rotation, spin, axis alignment, eclipse events, beginning-of-life and end-of-life operation.