Recently, Redwire successfully deployed solar panels for the Gateway lunar station for the first time. These panels are the largest and most powerful space solar systems ever built, capable of generating up to 60 kW of power. Due to their enormous size, they will be delivered to space rolled up, as otherwise they would not fit on any rocket.
Why is so much power needed?
Redwire is manufacturing the solar panels for the Gateway station as a contractor for Maxar, which is developing the Power and Propulsion Element (PPE) for the station. Gateway will use xenon-powered electric rocket engines to correct its orbit. Their work - the three-stroke and four-stroke engines with a power of 12 kW and 6 kW, respectively - will require a significant amount of electricity to accelerate xenon ions and create thrust. It is this need for a large amount of solar energy that necessitates the use of unusually large solar panels.
Innovative design for maximum efficiency
The frame of the Redwire ROSA solar panel is based on composite materials with a certain elasticity. The design is a tubular frame that flattens when folded. In space, under the influence of sunlight and compression energy, the frame independently unfolds into a state of flat panels. This process does not require additional mechanisms and energy, which greatly simplifies deployment. If the panels were made in a rigid form, as they are now, they would take up four times more space in the rocket at the same power output, which makes Redwire's innovation critical to mission efficiency.
Progress and future plans
Redwire employees have successfully completed the production of one of the panels and conducted a successful test of its full deployment. The panel will be shipped to the customer in the fourth quarter of this year. The launch of the first modules of the station into space is planned for no earlier than 2027, but this date remains in question.
Political debates around Gateway
The future of the Gateway project is the subject of political debate. The administration of Donald Trump recommended that the project be closed so as not to spend budget funds on it. However, opponents of this decision point out that the United States covers less than 40% of the station's budget, and the rest is funded by NASA's international partners. Recently, the US Senate proposed an alternative - the project to be saved and the station to be sent into lunar orbit, where it can become a transit base and a springboard for its development.