// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did Spectrolab say to the photon? You're always on our spectrum.
Spectrolab Inc. is a manufacturer of space solar cells and panels headquartered in Sylmar, California. It is a subsidiary of The Boeing Company, and part of Boeing Defense, Space & Security.
History
[edit]Spectrolab was founded in 1956 by Alfred E. Mann, a billionaire American entrepreneur and philanthropist.[1][2]
In 1960, Spectrolab was sold to Textron Inc alongside Heliotek, another of Mann's companies.[3][2] At Textron, it was known as the Heliotek divison.[4] Mann would continue to lead the company until 1972, when he left for Pacesetter.[3]
Spectrolab was acquired by and became a subsidiary of Hughes Aircraft Company in 1975.[5]
Citing decreased sales due to lower interest in satellite home-entertainment, Spectrolab begins investing into gallium arsenide solar cells as a substitute to silicon in 1981.[6]
In 1998, Spectrolab announced that they had successfully used dual-junction gallium arsenide solar cells after more than ten years in development. They had an efficiency of 21.6%.[7]
In conjunction with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Spectrolab announced in 1999 a 32.3% conversion efficiency, a world record at the time, with a triple-junction concentrator solar cell.[8]
In 2000, Boeing acquired Spectrolab from Hughes.[9][5]
The company states its "NeXt Triple Junction" high efficiency solar cells have a minimum average efficiency of 29.5% to AIAA-2005-111 and AIAA-2005-112 requirements.[10] In 2009, testing at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory demonstrated an efficiency of 41.6% under concentration for solar cells developed by Spectrolab.[5]
In 2012, Spectrolab announced plans to increase its focus on the terrestrial market using concentrators.[11] Spectrolab's terrestrial concentrating cell shows greater than 30% AM1.5D min. avg. efficiency from 200 to 400 Suns concentration in production.[12]
In 2013, testing at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory demonstrated an efficiency of 38.7% without concentration, a new world record at the time.[13]
In 2014, Spectrolab announced that they manufactured their 4 millionth gallium arsenide based solar cell for use in space.[14]
Using optical band-pass filtering and a separate silicon cell, 40% efficiency (with concentrators) was independently confirmed with a solar collector featuring Spectrolab triple-junction solar cells in 2015.[15][16]
Products
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Solar Cells
[edit]The company's triple junction solar cells use germanium, InGaP2, and gallium arsenide to achieve their efficiency.[10]
Searchlights
[edit]Spectrolab is the manufacturer of the Nightsun line of airborne searchlights.[17]
Notable Contributions
[edit]Spectrolab is a major supplier of solar cells for space use. They have provided cells for spacecraft manufacturers such as Ball Aerospace, Lockheed Martin, and their parent company Boeing. In 2000, they were the supplier for more than half of the world's spacecraft solar cells.[4] The following are notable examples of spacecraft that have featured Spectrolab cells:
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- Pioneer 1: Launched in 1958, the probe carried Spectrolab's first body-mounted solar panels.[17]
- Explorer 6: This 1959 satellite provided the first photo of Earth from space and also carried Spectrolab's first solar arrays.[17]
- Apollo 11: Spectrolab developed the solar technology which was left behind on the moon in 1969. They also contributed space batteries.[2]
- PAS-5: Launched in 1997, this communications satellite from PanAmSat represented the first commercial spacecraft to use dual-junction solar cells as a primary power source.[18][7]
- Mars Exploration Rover: Spectrolab solar cells were used for the foldable solar panels on both the Spirit and Opportunity rovers.[19]
- Juno: Interplanetary NASA probe which travelled to Jupiter.[20][21] At the time, this was the farthest any solar-powered spacecraft had travelled from the sun.[20]
- International Space Station: Spectrolab, along with Deployable Space Systems and Boeing, provided six Roll Out Solar Arrays that supplemented the ISS' original arrays.[22][21] They were delivered two at a time from 2021 to 2023.[22] Spectrolab also provided cells for the original set of solar panels on the station.[23][21][5]
See Also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ Brice, Ann Roberts (June 2007), "Profile: Alfred E. Mann", Nature Biotechnology, 25 (6): 615, doi:10.1038/nbt0607-615, ISSN 1087-0156
- 1 2 3 Jones, Geoffrey G.; Bouamane, Loubna (May 25, 2012), "'Power from Sunshine': A Business History of Solar Energy", Harvard Business School Working Paper, 12 (105)
- 1 2 Temes, Judy (May 28, 2012), "The Mann: battery technology, solar power, insulin drugs and medical devices are just part of Alfred Mann's legacy", San Fernando Valley Business Journal, 17 (10): 1, ISSN 1526-0712
- 1 2 Luque, Antonio; Hegedus, Steven, eds. (2000), Handbook of Photovoltaic Science and Engineering, Wiley, doi:10.1002/0470014008, ISBN 0471491969
- 1 2 3 4 Vara-Orta, Francsisco (September 7, 2009), "Sylmar firm's solar cells fuel growth of business: Spectrolab expects pickup in orders and addition of 50 workers", Los Angeles Business Journal, 31 (36): 7, ISSN 0194-2603
- ↑ Goldstein, Alan (August 6, 1985), "Spectrolab May Soar Again With Gallium Technology", The Los Angeles Times, pp. 5A, 5C, ISSN 0458-3035
- 1 2 "Solar-cell efficiency nearly doubled by Hughes' spectrolab", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology: An International Journal, 70 (1), Emerald Publishing, February 1, 1998, doi:10.1108/aeat.1998.12770aab.007, ISSN 1758-4213
- ↑ Szweda, Roy (2000), "III–Vs: the power in space", III-Vs Review, 13 (2), Elsevier B.V.: 28, 31, doi:10.1016/S0961-1290(00)88499-9, ISSN 0961-1290
- ↑ "Boeing Is Paying $3.75 Billion for Hughes Unit", The New York Times, p. C5, January 14, 2000, ISSN 0362-4331
- 1 2 "29.9% NeXt Triple Junction (XTJ) Solar Cells" (PDF). Spectrolab. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 21, 2009.
- ↑ Madler, Mark R. (October 29, 2012), "Spectrolab draws solar cells into closer orbit: energy: Boeing Co. unit in Sylmar eyes terrestrial market for advanced cells that have powered Mars rover", San Fernando Valley Business Journal, 17 (22): 1, ISSN 1526-0712
- ↑ "Triple-Junction Terrestrial Concentrator Solar Cells" (PDF). Spectrolab.
- ↑ "Spectrolab beats its own solar cell efficiency world record". New Atlas. November 20, 2013. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
- ↑ "Spectrolab manufactures 4 millionth space solar cell", Space Daily, United Press International, December 2014, ISSN 1048-3616
- ↑ Green, Martin A.; Keevers, Mark J.; Thomas, Ian; Lasich, John B.; Emery, Keith; King, Richard R. (March 25, 2015), "40% efficient sunlight to electricity conversion", Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications, 23 (6): 685–691, doi:10.1002/pip.2612
- ↑ "Researchers from Spectrolab Inc. Report New Studies and Findings in the Area of Photovoltaics (40% efficient sunlight to electricity conversion)", Electronics Newsweekly, NewsRX LLC: 387, May 20, 2015
- 1 2 3 "Spectrolab continues to advance solar cells", III-Vs Review, 12 (2), Elsevier Ltd.: 32–33, 1999, doi:10.1016/S0961-1290(99)80044-1
- ↑ Gelb, Steven W.; Fodor, Jay S.; Powe, Joseph S. (May 2000), "In‐orbit performance of Hughes HS601HP dual junction GaInP2/GaAs/Ge solar arrays", Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications, 8 (3), Wiley: 307–313, doi:10.1002/1099-159X(200005/06)8:3<307::AID-PIP321>3.0.CO;2-N, ISSN 1062-7995
- ↑ "Mars photovoltaics help drive terrestrial solutions", Global Environmental Change Report, 16 (4): 7, April 2004, ISSN 1049-9083
- 1 2 "Boeing Creates New, High Efficiency Spacecraft Solar Cell", Satellite Today, Access Intelligence, LLC, 2016, ISSN 1521-1436
- 1 2 3 "Solar cells that power the International Space Station are produced at local company in Sylmar". ABC7.com. August 30, 2023.
- 1 2 Garcia, Mark A. (January 11, 2021), New Solar Arrays to Power NASA’s International Space Station Research, NASA
- ↑ Bailey, Sheila; Raffaelle, Ryne; Fraas, Lewis; Partain, Larry (2010), "Space Solar Cells and Applications", Solar Cells and Their Applications (2nd ed.), Wiley, pp. 395–424, doi:10.1002/9780470636886.ch18, ISBN 0470446331
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