Powering a search for the stars

CNES’s Corot mini-LEO (Low Earth Orbit) satellite, launched at the end of December 2006 by a Soyuz 2-1b launcher in Kazakhstan, is powered by Saft rechargeable lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries as it searches nearby stars for rocky earth-like planets. The batteries will be charged and discharged over a constantly repeating 100 minute cycle (the time Corot takes to complete one Earth orbit), with no rest periods, throughout a mission planned to last at least two-and-a-half years.
The Saft battery systems are working in conjunction with Corot’s solar array to provide the electrical power for the satellite’s on-board electronics. When the solar array is fully exposed to the sun it will provide the satellite’s power as well as charging the batteries. When the solar array is ‘eclipsed’ by the earth, with no direct sunlight, the batteries will power the satellite.
The Corot battery system comprises Saft VES 100 Li-ion cells, offering a number of advantages for mini-LEO satellites, including the capability to save weight and space, enabling the satellite to carry the maximum active payload.