SmallSat Solar Panel

GTM Advanced Structures’ SmallSat Solar Panel is a flight-ready photovoltaic assembly engineered for spacecraft in the SmallSat class (typically 10–150 kg). Each panel is designed from mission requirements upward, allowing GTM to tailor cell technology (GaAs or silicon), array architecture, and substrate geometry to the customer’s power budget and launch envelope.

The panel substrate is manufactured using composite lay-up skins, bonded and autoclave-cured, with machined features and integrated inserts and brackets for satellite bus attachment. The photovoltaic assembly employs sorted and inspected solar cells interconnected via welding, followed by cell bonding, harnessing, and in-line electrical inspection at each step.

All panels undergo rigorous qualification including electroluminescence (EL) and photoluminescence (PL) inspection, Light-IV curve measurement for power output verification, deployment testing of hold-down and release mechanisms, shaker vibration testing, and thermal cycling. Third-party thermal vacuum and environmental qualification is also available.

With more than 80 SmallSat solar panels on orbit, GTM’s product line has demonstrated reliable in-orbit performance across multiple missions. The company’s AS9100 certification and vertically integrated production model mean customers receive a single-source solution from design freeze through post-qualification delivery.