- From 2 March – 1 April 2026 (5 Weeks, 10 Classes, 20 Total Hours)
- Every Monday and Wednesday at 1–3 p.m. Eastern Time (all sessions will be recorded and available for replay; course notes will be available for download)
- This comprehensive and unique course covers the basic fundamental principles underlying the design, test, and deployment of LIB-based EPS for various types of spacecraft mission applications.
- All students will receive an AIAA Certificate of Completion at the end of the course.
OVERVIEW
Since the early 2000’s, high specific energy lithium-ion
battery (LIB) technologies have enabled higher power spacecraft electrical
power systems (EPS) resulting in significant improvements to on-orbit mission
capability. As such, rechargeable LIB energy storage technologies are now used
exclusively to provide primary power capability for all types of spacecraft
vehicles. However, new and innovative design solutions for next-generation
spacecraft LIB-based EPS are becoming critical to meeting increasing aerospace
market demands for higher power, lower cost, and longer on-orbit service life
missions. Utilizing a systems engineering approach, this course provides a
comprehensive treatment of the requirements, design, manufacturing, test,
safety, deployment, and on-orbit operation of spacecraft LIB power system
technologies. The level of treatment will be based on a practical approach to
establishing the basic fundamental principles underlying LIB-based EPS for
various types of spacecraft mission applications. An understanding of Li-ion
cell and battery engineering, design, test, and operation as it relates to the
unique requirements of spacecraft EPS is emphasized. The role of ground and
on-orbit environments on cell and battery design and testing is described in
terms of the entire life cycle of the spacecraft EPS. The fundamentals of
LIB-level requirement specifications, cell selection and matching processes,
LIB acceptance and qualification testing, EPS integration, and launch site
ground processing are presented. Procedures and processes for safe handling,
transportation, and storage of space LIBs will also be discussed to enable user
compliance to industry standards and regulations. Special topics include LIB
thermal runaway hazards, dead bus events, ground life cycle testing, on-orbit
mission LIB EPS management, and spacecraft EPS passivation strategies. Selected
examples of on-orbit LIB-based EPS Earth-orbiting satellites, planetary mission
spacecraft (such as orbiters, landers, rovers and probes), launch vehicles, and
astronaut spacesuit power systems will be discussed.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- Outline the key electrical, thermal, mechanical, safety, and quality requirements for a compliant space LIB design.
- Describe the advantages and disadvantages of space LIB applications
- List the natural and induced ground and on-orbit environments which impact space LIB design and test requirements.
- Describe how to size a spacecraft LIB design for a given Earth-orbiting or planetary mission application.
- Compare and differentiate between parallel-series (p-s) and series-parallel (s-p) electrical LIB design architectures.
- List the acceptance and qualification test types, purpose, and success criteria for spacecraft LIBs.
- Explain how to safely design, operate, store, transport, and handle Li-ion cells and batteries.
- Distinguish between real-time and accelerated LIB life cycle testing.
- Explain the key LIB telemetry measurements needed to trend on-orbit performance of spacecraft LIB power systems.
- Summarize the differences between end-of-mission soft and hard passivation strategies for spacecraft LIB-based EPS.
- [See below for detailed Outline]
AUDIENCE
This course is designed
to benefit a wide spectrum of industry practitioners and academicians with
varying degrees of experience who have a practical need for an increased
understanding of LIB-based spacecraft EPS. The primary target audience will be
industry practitioners in the growing commercial and government aerospace LIB
marketplace. This includes practitioners ranging in expertise from early career
novices to experienced subject matter experts (SME)s requiring a more detailed
understanding of space-qualified LIBs. Program and project engineers in
leadership positions will also benefit from the course content. In addition,
academics engaged in R&D, classroom teaching, hands-on learning, or other
relevant educational environments will greatly benefit from the depth and
breadth of the course content.
COURSE FEES (Sign-In To Register)
-
AIAA Member Price: $995 USD
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Non-Member Price: $1195 USD
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AIAA Student Member Price: $495 USD
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INSTRUCTORS
Dr. Thomas (Tom) P. Barrera is currently Owner and President, LIB-X Consulting, where he provides engineering and educational services in the broad area of lithium-ion battery power systems. Previously, Tom was a Technical Fellow for The Boeing Co., Satellite Development Center (El Segundo, CA), where he led multidisciplinary teams in systems engineering of advanced space electrical power subsystem technologies. During his 19-year Boeing career, Tom provided missions operations support for the NASA Space Shuttle and International Space Station programs as well as battery expertise for the CST-100 Starliner, Space Launch System, numerous commercial and government LEO/GEO satellite systems, and various high-value proprietary programs. Before joining The Boeing Co., Tom served as a space battery R&D test engineer at The Aerospace Corporation and electrical power systems engineer at the NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. Tom currently serves as an industry member of the NASA Engineering and Safety Center and is on the advisory board for South 8 Technologies. Frequently invited to speak and lecture at domestic and international conferences, Tom has over 50 combined conference presentations and publications, including 3 US patents in the area of aviation battery safety. Dr. Barrera earned his PhD in chemical engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a minor in atmospheric chemistry and physics. He also served as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the department of materials science and engineering at UCLA. Tom earned his MS in industrial engineering and management sciences from Northwestern University, BS in chemical engineering (cum laude) and BA in mathematics–economics both from University of California, Santa Barbara. He is also an AIAA Associate Fellow, member-at-large for the Battery Division of the ECS, and member of Tau Beta Pi.
Dr. Rob Gitzendanner is an accomplished technology leader with a broad-based expertise in the design and development of batteries and energy storage systems, with a focus on Lithium-ion cells, batteries and active materials. Rob received his bachelor’s degree, with a major in Chemistry, from the University of Pennsylvania and PhD. in Inorganic Chemistry from Cornell University. He followed with a Post-doctoral position at the University of St. Andrews, in St. Andrews, Scotland. Rob joined Yardney Technical Products in Pawcatuck, CT working on fundamental chemistry development; cell and battery design, assembly and testing; customer relations; and technical growth planning. In addition to multiple terrestrial/aviation programs (such as the B-2 Stealth Bomber and Global Hawk UAVs), Rob led or supported multiple space programs including the Mars Landers (Phoenix and Insight), the Juno mission orbiting Jupiter, the Orion Crew Module Battery (delivering the batteries used for the Exploration Flight Test-1 and Artemis I flight missions), and several satellite missions including the X-37 Spaceplane, WISE, XSS-11, and MAVEN. After Yardney was acquired by EaglePicher Technologies, Rob stayed with the organization, continuing in technical management and customer-focused roles, as well as becoming General Manager for the East Greenwich, RI facility. After years of service, Rob became the Technical Fellow at EaglePicher focusing on supporting the multiple chemistries and production lines across EaglePicher. Rob is currently the President of EMJ Battery Consulting, LLC.
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OUTLINE
Class 1
1. Introduction
1.1 Introduction and Background
1.2 History of Spacecraft Batteries
1.2.1 The Early Years – 1957 to 1975
1.2.2 The Next Generation – 1975 to 2000
1.2.3 The Lithium-Ion Revolution – 2000 to Present
1.3 State of Practice
1.3.1 Raw Materials Supply Chain
1.3.2 COTS and Custom Li-ion Cells
1.3.3 Hazard Safety and Controls
1.3.4 Acquisition Strategies
2. Space Lithium-Ion Cells
2.1 Introduction
2.1.1 Types of Space Battery Cells
2.2.2 Rechargeable Space Cells
2.2.3 Non-Rechargeable Space Cells
2.2.4 Specialty Reserve Space Cells
2.2 Definitions and Terminology
2.2.1 Voltage, Current, and Temperature
2.2.2 Capacity
2.2.3 Energy
2.2.4 Depth-of-Discharge
2.2.5 State-of-Charge
Class 2
2. Space Lithium-Ion Cells (con’t)
2.3 Cell Components
2.3.1 Types of Positive Electrodes
2.3.2 Types of Negative Electrodes
2.3.3 Electrolytes
2.3.4 Separators
2.4 Cell Geometry
2.4.1 Standardization
2.4.2 Cylindrical
2.4.3 Prismatic
2.4.4 Elliptical-Cylindrical
2.4.5 Pouch
2.5 Cell Requirements
2.5.1 Specification
2.5.2 Capacity and Energy
2.5.3 Operating Voltage
2.5.4 Mass and Volume
2.5.5 DC Resistance
2.5.6 Self-Discharge Rate
2.5.7 Environments
2.5.8 Lifetime
2.5.9 Cycle Life
2.5.10 Safety and Reliability
2.6 Cell Performance Characteristics
2.6.1 Charge and Discharge Voltage
2.6.2 Capacity
2.6.3 Energy
2.6.4 Internal Resistance
2.6.5 Depth-of-Discharge
2.6.6 Life Cycle
Class 3
2.7 Cell Qualification Testing
2.7.1 Test Descriptions
2.7.2 Electrical
2.7.3 Environmental
2.7.4 Safety
2.7.5 Life Cycle Testing
2.8 Cell Screening and Acceptance Testing
2.8.1 Screening
2.8.2 Lot Definition
2.8.3 Acceptance Testing
3. Space Lithium-Ion Batteries
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Battery Requirements
3.2.1Specification
3.2.2 Statement of Work
3.2.3 Voltage
3.2.4 Capacity
3.2.5 Mass and Volume
3.2.6 Cycle Life
3.2.7 Environments
3.3Cell Selection and Matching
3.3.1 Selection Methodology
3.3.2 Matching Process
3.4 Mission Specific Characteristics
3.4.1 LIB Sizing
3.4.2 GEO Missions
3.4.3 LEO Missions
3.4.4 MEO and HEO Missions
3.4.5 Lagrange Orbit Missions
Class 4
3.5 Interfaces
3.5.1 Electrical
3.5.2 Mechanical
3.5.3 Thermal
3.6 Battery Design
3.6.1 Electrical
3.6.2 Mechanical
3.6.3 Thermal
3.6.4 Materials, Parts, and Processes
3.6.5 Safety and Reliability
3.7 Battery Testing
3.7.1 Test Requirements and Planning
3.7.2 Test Articles and Events
3.7.3 Qualification Testing
3.7.4 Acceptance Testing
3.8 Supply Chain
3.8.1 Battery Parts and Materials
3.8.2 Space LIB Suppliers
4. Spacecraft Electrical Power Systems
4.1 Introduction
4.2 EPS Functional Description
4.2.1 Power Generation
4.2.2 Energy Storage
4.2.3 Power Management and Distribution
4.2.4 Harness
Class 5
4.3 EPS Requirements
4.3.1 Specification
4.3.2 Orbital Mission Profile
4.3.3 Power Capability
4.3.4 Mission Lifetime
4.4 EPS Architecture
4.4.1 Bus Voltage
4.4.2 Direct Energy Transfer
4.4.3 Unregulated Bus
4.4.4 Partially-Regulated Bus
4.4.5 Fully-Regulated Bus
4.4.6 Peak-Power Tracker
4.5 Battery Management Systems
4.5.1 Autonomy
4.5.2 Battery Charge Management
4.5.3 Battery Cell Voltage Balancing
4.5.4 EPS Telemetry
4.6 Dead Bus Events
4.6.1 Orbital Considerations
4.6.2 Survival Fundamentals
4.7 EPS Analysis
4.7.1 Energy Balance
4.7.2 Power Budget
4.8 EPS Testing
4.8.1 Assembly, Integration, and Test
4.8.2 Bus Integration
4.8.3 Functional Test
5. Battery Safety and Reliability
5.1 Introduction
5.1.1 Space Battery Safety
5.1.2 Industry Lessons Learned
5.2 Space Battery Safety Requirements
5.2.1 Requirements
5.2.2 NASA-JSC 20793
5.2.3 Range Safety
5.2.4 Design for Minimum Risk
5.3 Safety, Hazards, Controls, and Testing
5.3.1 Electrical
5.3.2 Mechanical
5.3.3 Thermal
5.3.4 Chemical
5.3.5 Safety Testing
5.4 Thermal Runaway
5.4.1 Likelihood and Severity
5.4.2 Characterization
5.4.3 Testing
5.5 Principles of Safe-by-Design
5.5.1 Field Failures Due to ISC’s
5.5.2 Cell Design
5.5.3 Cell Manufacturing and Quality Audits
5.5.4 Cell Testing and Operation
Class 6
6. Life Cycle Testing and Analysis5.6.1 Requirements
5.6.2 Battery Reliability Analysis
5.6.3 Hazard Analysis
5.6.4 Battery Failure Rates
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Life Cycle Test Planning6.1.1 Test-Like-You-Fly
6.1.2 Design of Test
6.1.3 Test Article Selection
6.1.4 Personnel, Equipment, and Facilities
6.3 Charge and Discharge Test Conditions6.2.1 Test Plan
6.2.2 Test Procedures
6.2.3 Test Readiness Review
6.4 Test Configuration and Environments6.3.1 Charge and Discharge Rates
6.3.2 Capacity and Depth-of-Discharge
6.3.3 Voltage Limits
6.3.4 Charge and Discharge Control
6.5 Test Equipment and Safety Hazards6.4.1 Test Article Configuration
6.4.2 Test Environments
6.6 Real-Time Life Cycle Testing6.5.1 Test Equipment Configuration
6.5.2 Test Safety Hazards
6.7 Calendar and Storage Life Testing6.6.1 Test Article Selection
6.6.2 Test Execution and Monitoring
6.6.3 LCT End-of-Life Management
6.8 Accelerated Life Cycle Testing6.7.1 Calendar Life
6.7.2 Storage Life
6.7.3 Test Methodology
6.8.1 Lessons Learned
6.8.2 Data Analysis
Class 7
7. Ground Processing and On-Orbit Mission Operations6.9.1 LCT Data Analysis
6.9.2 Trend Analysis and Reporting
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Ground Processing7.1.1 Satellite Systems Engineering
7.1.2 Ground and Space Satellite EPS Requirements
7.3 Launch Site Operations7.2.1 Storage
7.2.2 Transportation and Handling
7.4 Mission Operations7.3.1 Launch Site Processing
7.3.2 Pre-Launch Operations
7.3.3 Launch Operations
7.5 End-of-Mission Operations7.4.1 GEO Transfer Orbit
7.4.2 GEO On-Station Operations
7.4.3 On-Orbit Maintenance Operations
7.4.4 Contingency Operations
7.4.5 End-of-Life Operations
7.5.1 Satellite Disposal Operations
7.5.2 Passivation Requirements
7.5.3 Satellite EPS Passivation Operations
Class 8
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Earth Orbit Missions
8.3 NASA Astronaut Battery Systems8.2.1 Requirements
8.2.1 LEO Missions
8.2.2 MEO Missions
8.2.3 HEO Missions
8.2.4 GEO Missions
8.2.5 LaGrange Orbit Missions
8.3.1 Astronaut Space Suit LIBs
Class 9
8.5.1 Service Life and Reliability
8.5.2 Radiation Tolerance
8.5.3 Extreme Temperature
8.5.4 Low Magnetic Signature
8.5.5 Mechanical Environments
8.5.6 Planetary Protection
8.5 Planetary and Space Exploration Missions
8.6 Future Missions
8.5.1 Earth Orbiters8.5.2 Lunar Missions
8.5.3 Mars Missions
8.5.4 Missions to Jupiter
8.5.5 Missions to Comets and Asteroids
8.5.6 Missions to Deep Space and Outer Planets
8.7 Summary
Class 10
Broad summary and wrap-up
Discussion
and Q&A
CLASSROOM HOURS / CEUs:20classroom hours /2.0 CEU/PDH
COURSE DELIVERY AND MATERIALS
- The course lectures will be delivered via Zoom. Access to the Zoom classroom will be provided to registrants near to the course start date.
- All sessions will be available on-demand within 1-2 days of the lecture. Once available, you can stream the replay video anytime, 24/7.
- All slides will be available for download after each lecture. No part of these materials may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted, unless for course participants. All rights reserved.
- Between lectures during the course, the instructor(s) will be available via email for technical questions and comments.
- Recommended (optional) textbook is Barrera, T.P., Editor, “Spacecraft Lithium-Ion Battery Power Systems”, 1st ed, John Wiley & Sons Ltd, 2023.
Cancellation Policy: A refund less a $50.00 cancellation fee will be assessed for all cancellations made in writing prior to 5 days before the start of the event. After that time, no refunds will be provided.
Contact: Please contact Lisa Le or Customer Service if you have any questions about the course or group discounts.