WASHINGTON, 24 Jan. 2013. NASA and Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne engineers and executives are anxiously awaiting the results of safety officials’ investigation into GS Yuasa and its lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries.
"Over the past 3 years, GS Yuasa's technology and manufacturing capability have been thoroughly evaluated by NASA. Following destructive physical analyses of our cells, successful completion of cell qualification and comprehensive audits of our processes and facilities, this award affirms GS Yuasa's uncommon quality, service and value," says Curtis Aldrich , GYLP's director of business development.
GS Yuasa will supply its LSE134 Li-ion cell which has completed qualification testing for the ISS program. The LSE134 (134Ah nameplate capacity) cell is a member of GS Yuasa's Generation III family of Li-ion cells for space and is ideally suited to the electrical, size, and mass requirements of this mission. The LSE134 approximately triples the available energy storage on both a per mass and a per volume basis relative to the existing Ni-H2 battery and is capable of powering critical ISS systems well beyond the required 10-year service life.
"The award of this contract is another example of the confidence the space community has in GS Yuasa's Li-ion cells for space applications," GYLP President Bill Moll said in Nov. 2012. "This award follows the successful completion of Phase I of the battery cell procurement which was a highly competitive process. As one of the largest single deployments of lithium ion cells in a space application, the ISS battery replacement project cements GS Yuasa's position as a market leader in stored energy solutions for aerospace systems."
