Designing a power supply system of the science and power module for the International Space Station Russian segment

Taking the design of the Science and Power Module of the Russian Segment of the International Space Station as an example, the paper provides a procedure and calculation formulas for the Power Supply Systems (PSS) of orbital spacecraft. It provides a rationale for the Science and Power Module PSS configuration, and describes an analysis of performance, feasibility and cost trade-offs. The hallmark of the procedure is the simultaneous consideration of periodic shadowings of solar arrays by structural elements of the station, of the efficiency of storage batteries and monitoring and control automatics, as well as requirements for maintaining thermal conditions. Based on the calculations, the decision was made to select the type of storage batteries which assures the least total costs. The procedure is applicable to the design of orbital spacecraft with a power supply system based on solar arrays and provides information which is useful in determining the configuration and engineering parameters of a PSS.