Engineers at Thales Alenia Space in Cannes, France, needed an efficient and affordable source of power for their work on the Italian Ministry of Defence’s SICRAL (Sistema Italiana de Communicazione Riservente Allarmi) 1B program satellite. They found the needed solution at EaglePicher Technologies LLC in Joplin, Mo.
Thales Alenia Space officials contracted EaglePicher to supply nickel hydrogen batteries for SICRAL 1B, a military communications satellite which was launched from a sea platform at an equatorial launch site in the Pacific Ocean.
The SICRAL 1B is intended to bring about strategic and tactical communications on Italian and foreign territories, as well as mobile communications between land vehicles, ships, and aircraft. It also will provide UHF and SHF satellite capacities to NATO forces, says a representative.
 |
EaglePicher’s 92Ah batteries will power the communications satellite when the spacecraft is out of view of the sun. The satellite is supposed to last for 13 years.
EaglePicher engineers previously supplied nickel hydrogen batteries to SICRAL 1, which launched in 2001. The program is scheduled to be replaced by SICRAL 2 in 2012.
EaglePicher’s nickel hydrogen batteries and cells have powered more than 440 space missions, including the Hubble Space Telescope, where the batteries have lasted four times longer than the projected lifespan, reveals a representative. In addition to Hubble, EaglePicher batteries and cells have supported the International Space Station, Lunar Rover, Apollo, Gemini, and Mercury.
The SICRAL 1B program is under the joint responsibility of Thales Alenia Space and Telespazio, partners in the Space Alliance for the parent companies Finmeccanica and Thales.
For additional information, visit Eagle-Picher Technologies LLC online at www.eaglepicher.com.
Print
Email
Save
