How Does Nasa Use Solar Panels

Mars exploration rovers spirit and opportunity exploring the planet mars facts information videos and pictures.

How does nasa use solar panels.

Power to run the sensors active heating cooling and telemetry. Some nasa missions to mars have run on solar energy of course the insight lander currently operating on the red planet bears solar panels as did the twin spirit and opportunity rovers. Researchers at nasa ames are conducting cutting edge research in the development of clean energy technologies for nasa mission needs in the exploration systems mission directorate and the science mission directorate our renewable energy focus is on advancing biofuels solar and wind technologies that also help reduce our nation s dependence on petroleum based fuels. Use of this system reduced usage of a shuttle s on board power generating fuel cells allowing it to stay docked to the space station for an additional four days.

Solar advancements are applicable on a larger scale as well and could even help us energize a totally new type of power plant. For both uses a key figure of merit of the solar panels is the specific power watts generated divided by solar array mass which indicates on a relative basis how much. The station to shuttle power transfer system sspts. The four ton juno spacecraft carries three 30 foot long 9 meter solar arrays festooned with 18 698 individual solar cells.

Launched in 2011 juno is the first solar powered spacecraft designed to operate at such a great distance from the sun. Scientists are testing a new durable recyclable and efficient material that could soon power habitats on the moon. Power for spacecraft propulsion electric propulsion sometimes called solar electric propulsion. As you can see without nasa s involvement solar power technology would likely still be a fledgling science.

The hubble space telescope uses solar panels for energy. Solar panels on spacecraft supply power for two main uses. A multitude of consumer products from toys and camping gear to radios now use modernized solar panels. Pronounced spits allowed a docked space shuttle to make use of power provided by the international space station s solar arrays.

What kind of solar panels does nasa actually use was the question we had after watching matt damon haul clunky panels with tragically inefficient design around mars in the space thriller the martian for an answer we turned to researchers at nasa glenn research center in cleveland.