VL51ES Li-Ion Battery for GEO and MEO
Saft
High-power space battery based on Saft VL51ES Li-ion cells, specifically designed for GEO and MEO spacecraft applications requiring sustained high discharge rates.
Key figurescomparable across the catalogue
- Design life
- 15 years
Normalised to common units so this product can be compared with others in its category. The supplier's own wording is below.
As published by the supplier
- Cell type
- VL51ES Li-ion cylindrical cell
- Application
- GEO and MEO spacecraft
- Performance type
- High power
- Mission profile
- Up to 72-min eclipses at GEO; MEO radiation environment
- Design lifetime
- > 15 years (GEO class)
About
The Saft VL51ES battery is a high-power lithium-ion energy storage solution engineered for geostationary (GEO) and medium Earth orbit (MEO) spacecraft applications. Built on the Saft VL51ES cell — a large-format cylindrical lithium-ion cell selected for its excellent power density and reliability — the battery provides the sustained high discharge rates and deep cycling required by communication satellites and navigation satellites in GEO and MEO orbits. Unlike LEO satellite batteries which cycle hundreds of times per year through short eclipse periods, GEO batteries must endure two eclipse seasons per year with individual eclipses up to 72 minutes, requiring very deep discharges with full recovery capability over the satellite lifetime of 15+ years. The VL51ES cell chemistry is optimized to meet these demanding cycle-life and calendar-life requirements at the cell level, with battery-level design incorporating thermal management, cell balancing, and safety features appropriate for space deployment.
Documentation
No public datasheet yet — request the datasheet / ICD from the supplier.