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Cited by 76Advanced Battery Technologies ResearchSpacecraft Design and TechnologySpace Technology and Applications

A Review of Battery Technology in CubeSats and Small Satellite Solutions

Open access
Knap, Vaclav, Vestergaard, Lars Kjeldgaard, Stroe, Daniel-Ioan·2020·Energies
DOI 10.3390/en13164097
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Abstract

CubeSats and small satellite solutions are increasing in popularity as they enable a fast, cheap, and agile way for satellite applications. An essential component of nearly every satellite is the energy storage device, which is practically equal to a battery. Consequently, an overview of past, present, and future battery technologies for CubeSats is presented. CubeSats use typically commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) batteries. They are not primarily dedicated to space, so their suitability to the space environment needs to be evaluated. Batteries are also considered as potentially dangerous goods. Thus, there are guidelines and standards that specify safety criteria and tests for the batteries in order to be allowed for transportation and launch. Furthermore, the character of satellites’ missions determines their demand on batteries in terms of current rates, depth-of-discharge, and lifetime. Thus, these expectations are discussed. A market survey was also carried out to identify currently available commercial battery solutions and their parameters. This work summarizes the status, requirements, and the market situation of batteries for CubeSats.

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Crossref · 10.3390/en13164097

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  • The levels of irradiation and its accumulation through the orbit lifetime reduce the battery's performance, especially when shielding is absent.

    “The levels of irradiation and its accumulation through the orbit lifetime reduce the battery's performance, especially when shielding is absent.”

    From Irradiation Flux Modelling for Thermal–Electrical Simulation of CubeSats: Orbit, Attitude and Radiation Integration (2020) · cites this paper as [11]

    Section 3.1.1 (Space Radiation; page unavailable) says radiation dose accumulates over time, shielding reduces exposure, and high doses impair Li-ion battery performance. But it estimates that expected doses for CubeSat batteries in low Earth orbit cause at most 0.1% capacity loss and are generally negligible. The claim omits that important qualification. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • For low temperatures, usually below -20°C for discharge and 0°C for charge, there is rapid degradation of battery performance.

    “For low values of temperature, usually below -20 • C and 0 • for discharge and charge conditions, respectively, there is a rapid degradation of its performance.”

    From Irradiation Flux Modelling for Thermal–Electrical Simulation of CubeSats: Orbit, Attitude and Radiation Integration (2020) · cites this paper as [11]

  • To obtain better performance, passive treatment methods such as back surface coatings and paint are applied.

    “To obtain better performance, passive treatment method such as back surface coatings and paint is applied [153].”

    From A Comprehensive Review on Small Satellite Microgrids (2022) · cites this paper as [153]

    The retrieved Temperature section (page unavailable) discusses thermal testing, not passive surface treatments. Searches for back-surface coatings, paint, and passive treatment found no passage in our copy saying these methods are applied to improve performance; the other matches were References entries. (LLM, conf=0.76)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Knap, V., Vestergaard, L. K., & Stroe, D.-I.
Affiliations
  • GomSpace A/S, 9220 Aalborg East, Denmark
  • Aalborg University (DK)
ORCID
Venue
Energies
Publisher
MDPI AG
Published
2020-08-07
Volume
13
Issue
16
Pages
4097
ISSN
1996-1073 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.3390/en13164097
OpenAlex
W3047674441
Cited by
76
References
5
Citations by year
2026: 9 · 2025: 18 · 2024: 15 · 2023: 16 · 2022: 15 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 2
FWCI
3.14
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Energies (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • VBN Forskningsportal (Aalborg Universitet) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
Innovationsfonden (8054-00027B)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Automotive Engineering › Advanced Battery Technologies Research
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Aerospace Engineering › Spacecraft Design and Technology
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Electrical and Electronic Engineering › Space Technology and Applications
Keywords
CubeSat, small satellites, battery technology, energy storage, dangerous goods, battery safety standards, depth of discharge, battery life

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