The Pioneer Venus orbiter (PVO) solar panel power output capability has degraded much more severely than has the power output capability of solar panels that have operated in earth-orbiting spacecraft for comparable periods of time. The incidence of solar proton events recored by the spacecraft's scientific instruments accounts for this phenomenon only in part; it cannot explain two specific forms of anomalous behavior observed: 1) a variation of output per spin with roll angle, and 2) a gradual degradation of the maximum output. Analysis indicates that the most probable cause of the first anomaly is that the solar cells underneath the spacecraft's magnetometer boom have been damaged by a reverse biasing of the cells that occurs pulsed shadowing of the cells by the boom as the spacecraft rotates. The second anomaly might be caused by the effects on the solar array of substances from the upper atmosphere of Venus.


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    Title :

    Flight performance of the Pioneer Venus orbiter solar array


    Additional title:

    Flugverhalten der Sonnenbatterie des Venus-Orbiter-Satelliten


    Contributors:
    Goldhammer, L.J. (author) / Powe, J.S. (author) / Smith, M. (author)


    Publication date :

    1987


    Size :

    6 Seiten, 5 Bilder, 1 Tabelle, 14 Quellen


    Type of media :

    Conference paper


    Type of material :

    Print


    Language :

    English







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