ROSA — Roll-Out Solar Array
Roccor (Redwire)
The Roll-Out Solar Array (ROSA) is Redwire’s flagship solar power product, a flexible, rollable photovoltaic array that deploys on-orbit via stored strain energy in its composite boom structure — requiring no motors, pyrotechnics, or complex mechanisms. First demonstrated on the International Space Station in 2017, ROSA and its iROSA derivative have achieved a 100% on-orbit […]
Technical specifications
- ROSA Diamond
- BOL power 3.3 kW; mass 36 kg; deployed length 8.6 m; stowed width 2.32 m
- ROSA Opal
- BOL power 5.3 kW; mass 42.7 kg; deployed length 12.6 m; stowed width 2.67 m
- ROSA Sapphire
- BOL power 12.9 kW; mass 160 kg; deployed length 21.2 m; stowed width 3.35 m
- ROSA Tanzanite
- BOL power 17.6 kW; mass 180 kg; deployed length 24.8 m; stowed width 4.15 m
- ROSA SunStone
- BOL power 28 kW; mass 331 kg; deployed length 19.4 m; stowed width 3.1 m
- ROSA Phenacite
- BOL power 37 kW; mass 521 kg; deployed length 18.5 m; stowed width 4.94 m
- Bus voltage range
- 12 V to >300 V (configurable)
- Deployment mechanism
- Stored strain energy in composite boom (no motors required)
- Array wings
- Optional retractable configuration available
- On-orbit success rate
- 100% across all deployed missions
- Flight heritage
- ISS iROSA (4 pairs delivered), NASA DART, Lunar Gateway PPE (contracted)
About
The Roll-Out Solar Array (ROSA) is Redwire’s flagship solar power product, a flexible, rollable photovoltaic array that deploys on-orbit via stored strain energy in its composite boom structure — requiring no motors, pyrotechnics, or complex mechanisms. First demonstrated on the International Space Station in 2017, ROSA and its iROSA derivative have achieved a 100% on-orbit deployment success rate across all ISS upgrades, NASA’s DART asteroid-redirect mission, and contracts for the Lunar Gateway Power and Propulsion Element. The architecture uses modular photovoltaic blankets assembled onto rollable composite booms, enabling the array to stow into a compact cylinder for launch and deploy to full span without human or mechanical assistance. Six ROSA configurations span the commercial and government power envelope: Diamond (3.3 kW / 36 kg), Opal (5.3 kW / 42.7 kg), Sapphire (12.9 kW / 160 kg), Tanzanite (17.6 kW / 180 kg), SunStone (28 kW / 331 kg), and Phenacite (37 kW / 521 kg). Bus voltage is configurable from 12 V to over 300 V. Optional retractable wings support on-orbit reconfiguration. ROSA is also the basis for Redwire’s ELSA (Extensible Low-Profile Solar Array) announced in 2024, targeting higher mass-specific power for next-generation applications. Redwire (incorporating the former Deployable Space Systems / DSS and Roccor technologies) has delivered four pairs of iROSA wings to the ISS, each extending operating life by powering the station’s expanded crew and science complement.
Documentation
No public datasheet yet — request the datasheet / ICD from the supplier.