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  203180416353: ISS solar cell

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Author Topic:   203180416353: ISS solar cell
goose77
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Posts: 62
From: Marion, Iowa
Registered: Jul 2019

posted 11-24-2020 04:52 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for goose77   Click Here to Email goose77     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Not a lot of info on this listing for an ISS solar cell. I emailed the seller and they replied it is a surplus cell that was made for but not used on the ISS.

The last of the seven pictures include a part tag from Heliotek listing a date of May 1964.

SpaceAholic
Member

Posts: 4708
From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 11-24-2020 06:46 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for SpaceAholic   Click Here to Email SpaceAholic     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Last tag is not affiliated with the offered cells shown in preceding images. I have purchased one these and am comfortable with authenticity.

Robert Pearlman
Editor

Posts: 45102
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 11-24-2020 08:03 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
For comparison, here is a prototype International Space Station solar cell from Lockheed Martin that was part of the gift bags from the premiere of the IMAX movie "Space Station 3D" at the National Air and Space Museum in 2002.

thisismills
Member

Posts: 373
From: Michigan
Registered: Mar 2012

posted 11-25-2020 12:18 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for thisismills   Click Here to Email thisismills     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Note that there is one difference between the solar cell on eBay and the one shown in Robert's presentation, the number of rings around each connector.

It would be interesting to confirm which version(s) of the cell is on the station.

Additional photos and specifications for this cell design can be found here.

SpaceAholic
Member

Posts: 4708
From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 11-26-2020 07:47 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for SpaceAholic   Click Here to Email SpaceAholic     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
ISS cell design evolved to net efficiency gains so there are several variants floating around associated with that effort. Figure 10b in this pdf shows the three-ring derivative under test (figure 6 also a more complete array with the three-ring).

The eBay listed cells I don't believe are flight grade but offer a relatively inexpensive opportunity to acquire program affiliated technology (though I see the seller has raised the price).

All times are CT (US)

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