GS Yuasa Li-ion battery cells selected to power International Space Station
Roswell, GA, November 29, 2012 – GS Yuasa Lithium Power, Inc. (GYLP) has been awarded a contract by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne (PWR) to provide lithium ion (Li-ion) battery cells to be used on the International Space Station (ISS). PWR will integrate GS Yuasa Li-ion cells into batteries that will replace the nickel-hydrogen (Ni-H2) batteries which currently power the ISS Electrical Power System (EPS) during its eclipse mode. This battery replacement effort is part of an initiative to extend the operation and utilization of the ISS.
“Over the past 3 years, GS Yuasa’s technology and manufacturing capability have been thoroughly evaluated by NASA. Following destructive physical analyses of our cells, successful completion of cell qualification and comprehensive audits of our processes and facilities, this award affirms GS Yuasa’s uncommon quality, service and value,” said Curtis Aldrich, GYLP’s director of business development. “We are very happy to continue our relationship with PWR and we are proud to have the opportunity to support the ISS program.”
GS Yuasa will supply its LSE134 li-ion cell which has completed qualification testing for the ISS program. The LSE134 (134Ah nameplate capacity) cell is a member of GS Yuasa’s Generation III family of Li-ion cells for space and is ideally suited to the electrical, size and mass requirements of this mission. The LSE134 approximately triples the available energy storage on both a per mass and a per volume basis relative to the existing Ni-H2 battery and is capable of powering critical ISS systems well beyond the required 10-year service life.
“The award of this contract is another example of the confidence the space community has in GS Yuasa’s Li-ion cells for space applications,” explained GYLP President Bill Moll. “This award follows the successful completion of Phase I of the battery cell procurement which was a highly competitive process. As one of the largest single deployments of lithium ion cells in a space application, the ISS battery replacement project cements GS Yuasa’s position as a market leader in stored energy solutions for aerospace systems.”
GS Yuasa is a world leader in Li-ion energy storage for space applications. More than 68 orbital vehicles have relied on GS Yuasa Li-ion for a total of more than 1,400,000 watt-hours of storage capacity orbited without failure.
