Power Boost Gives Mission Planners More Flexibility to Use Smaller, Lower-Cost Satellites

The Air Force will be able to use an emerging class of lower-cost satellites for more missions because of a better power source developed in partnership with a Colorado-based company.

With support from the Air Force Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer Program, MMA Design LLC created a steerable solar array for CubeSats that incorporates processes typically used on larger, more complex and more expensive spacecraft. Also known as HaWK – which stands for High Watts per Kilogram, a performance metric – this new system allows groups of solar panels to be continuously adjusted toward the sun to capture the most energy possible.