US 12,454,372 B2
Modular solar array
Harry A. Yates, Mountain View, CA (US); Tom Hsieh, San Jose, CA (US); Ryan Bieniek, Reno, NV (US); Ben Kwong, San Mateo, CA (US); Robert Szombathy, Rocklin, CA (US); Martinus Meerman, San Martin, CA (US); Frederick Oey, San Carlos, CA (US); Peter Amnuaypayoat, San Francisco, CA (US); Alan J. Szeto, San Jose, CA (US); and Richard B. Warnock, Mountain View, CA (US)
Assigned to Maxar Space LLC, Palo Alto, CA (US)
Filed by Maxar Space LLC, Palo Alto, CA (US)
Filed on Nov. 3, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/501,264.
Application 18/501,264 is a division of application No. 17/948,011, filed on Sep. 19, 2022, granted, now 11,845,571.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/253,465, filed on Oct. 7, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0059431 A1, Feb. 22, 2024
Int. Cl. B64G 1/44 (2006.01); B64G 1/22 (2006.01); H02S 30/10 (2014.01); H02S 30/20 (2014.01)
CPC B64G 1/443 (2013.01) [B64G 1/2224 (2023.08); B64G 1/2228 (2023.08); B64G 1/2229 (2023.08); H02S 30/10 (2014.12); H02S 30/20 (2014.12)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method, comprising:
receiving a set of requirements for a solar array for a spacecraft, the set of requirements including:
a power requirement for the spacecraft;
a shape and dimensions of a portion of a body of the spacecraft within which the solar array is to fit when mounted on the body in a stowed configuration; and
a size and power supply capability of a plurality of bays each comprising a plurality of strings of photovoltaic cells mounted on a substrate, the substrate of each of the bays having one of one or more shared sizes and the string of photovoltaic of each of the bays having a shared power supply capability;
determining a design for the solar array from the set of requirements, the design specifying a number and shape of a plurality of panels, each of the panels having a plurality of frames of one or more shared size configured to hold one of the bays;
receiving a plurality of tubes having a shared cross-sectional shape;
receiving a plurality of nodes each configured to connect to two or more of the tubes, a plurality of the nodes including a releasable hold-down insertion opening;
connecting the tubes with the nodes to form the panels according to the determined design, each of the panels including one or more of the nodes including a releasable hold-down insertion opening;
detachably connecting one of the bays into each of the frames;
connecting the panels with a plurality of hinges configured to extend the panels from the stowed configure into a deployed configuration;
detachably connecting the bays with a wiring harness configured to provide power from the strings of photovoltaic cells to the spacecraft; and
subsequent to detachably connecting one of the bays into each of the frames, connecting the panels with the plurality of hinges, and detachably connecting the bays with the wiring harness, folding the panels at the hinges to place the solar array into the stowed configuration, including configuring the panels to allow insertion of a plurality of releasable hold-downs extending through all of the plurality of panels.