Mysterious Satellite Solar Array Malfunctions Solved

PALO ALTO, Calif. — Space Systems/Loral, a manufacturer of space-grade solar panels for use in satellites and spacecraft based in Palo Alto, recently revealed the answer to an eight-year-old mystery concerning malfunctions in several satellites outfitted with their solar arrays. The satellites known as Telstar 14, Telstar 14R and Intelsat 19 all experienced solar array failures when attempting to deploy their solar panels after reaching orbit.

John Celli, president of the company, told specialized newspaper Space News the satellites had major solar array failures because of inadvertent pressurization of the solar arrays, which led to explosive decompression as the external environment changed during liftoff. An independent investigative team discovered that the solar arrays became pressurized during the launch phase, when the satellite is propelled into space by a rocket.

As the satellite gained altitude the air pressure in the area around the panels became more and more distant from that of the outside air. Similar to a diver getting the bends, the rapid ascent of the rocket caused the air pressure inside the solar panel area to violently change, as the pressure inside felt the universal urge to equalize with that of the outside environment.

The problem essentially arose from the area around the panels being too airtight, to the point where it didn’t release any air until the pressure difference became so great that the air inside the satellite flew out with an explosive level of urgency, damaging the mechanical arm that extends the panels away from the satellite after it reaches orbit. Basically, the issue would have had to be addressed by either allowing more air to escape gradually from the compartment by making the mechanical arm and panels more durable. However, without knowing the root of the problem, neither of these steps presented themselves until recently.

These flaws led to a $205 million insurance loss on the Telstar 14 satellite when it launched in 2004 and a $132.7 million insurance loss on the Telstar 14R model when it was deployed in 2011. Unfortunately, a difference in the two occurrences of the problem made it difficult to connect the two events until recently. A piece of hardware was torn off of the 14R model when it malfunctioned, which made it appear that a separate issue caused the problem.

The source of the malfunctions was finally discovered after Intelsat 19 failed to correctly deploy its solar arrays in June of 2012, causing an $84 million insurance loss. It became apparent during that deployment, that the issue occurred during the launch phase, which led investigators to explore that possibility in relation to the two previous incidents.

With the mystery solved, it is once again apparent that deploying solar panel technology on land is a very high-tech business, but it’s not exactly rocket science.