High-density power for New Space missions needed as demand booms, study predicts

Satellite manufacturers operating in the New Space market sector will need to come up with solutions that will enable a 20-time increase in internet bandwidth over the next 10 years, according to a new report by Rob Russell, vice president, Aerospace and Defense, Vicor Corp.

The report lays out the challenges inherent in designing, developing, and launching satellites to meet this enormous demand: One major hurdle? The seemingly contradictory requirements for shrinking satellite size while at the same time improving throughput.

To achieve such a needed leap in throughput demand, satellite power designers must deliver 20 to 30 times more current to the load than legacy systems can provide, while simultaneously reducing the size, weight, and cost of the power delivery network. These warring requirements will only continue to escalate in the foreseeable future, the report notes.

Helping to solve this problem: Vastly upgraded power density for artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted New Space low-Earth orbit (LEO) and mid-Earth orbit (MEO) satellites in the form of power modules that deliver both high current and demonstrated radiation tolerance.