Thermal Cycle Qualification of Radiated Solar Arrays for 50 to 133 K Temperatures in Vacuum

Solar arrays (radiated or non-radiated) and other technologies are candidate materials for projects in JPL. Some of the projects need to qualify these potential technologies to cryogenic extreme temperatures (from 133 to 50 K or lower). Those technologies need to survive for more than 120 thermal cycles in a thermal vacuum environment to meet three times mission life of the ECM project per JPL design principles. There is not any published thermal cycling qualification data for solar arrays in vacuum to those of cryogenic temperatures. Therefore, an experimental assessment study was undertaken on behalf of the JPL pre-project office for the proposed Europa Clipper mission.