EaglePicher Technologies, LLC, an EaglePicher company, today announced it has been awarded two satellite battery programs by Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC). The orders are for the manufacture of lithium ion batteries to power SES Americom’s AMC-5R and FM-1 satellites during eclipse.
The satellite battery orders represent the fifth and sixth flight programs awarded to EaglePicher Technologies under a long-term agreement (LTA) with OSC. Established in 2006, the LTA calls for the design, manufacture and testing of lithium ion batteries that could have a life of up to 15 years on orbit.
“We are very pleased to announce these latest awards and excited that Orbital Sciences continues their confidence in our products,” said EaglePicher Technologies Vice President Ron Nowlin. “EaglePicher’s long history of supplying high quality, high reliability battery technology for the space industry and Orbital’s growing spacecraft business provides a good recipe for long-term business growth.”
EaglePicher is widely recognized as the world’s premier supplier of nickel hydrogen space batteries, having accumulated nearly 1.2 billion hours of cell operation in space with 100 percent mission success. The company is now using that expertise and heritage to advance space battery technology to the new lithium ion electrochemistry, known to provide higher energy density than nickel hydrogen or nickel cadmium. The OSC batteries will be built using GS- Yuasa lithium-ion cells.
David Mascher, EaglePicher’s program manager for the OSC projects, said, “Our relationship with OSC for space batteries extends over two decades, and we are very proud to continue as their supplier of this critical hardware.”
The batteries will be manufactured at EaglePicher Technologies’ facility in Joplin, Mo. EaglePicher Technologies, LLC, an EaglePicher company, is the leading producer of batteries and energetic devices for the defense, space and commercial industries, and provides the most experience and broadest capability in battery electrochemistry of any battery supplier in the United States.
EaglePicher Technologies offers a wide range of battery technology including thermal, nickel hydrogen, lithium carbonmonofluoride, lithium thionyl chloride, lithium manganese dioxide, lithium sulfur dioxide, lithium ion, reserve lithium oxyhalide, custom battery assemblies and silver zinc batteries. It also provides other energy products and pyrotechnic devices for the defense industry, as well as advanced battery chargers and other power solutions for business, industrial and recreational applications. EaglePicher Technologies is headquartered in Joplin, Mo., and is an AS9100 certified supplier. For more information, visit www.eaglepicher.com.
Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC) develops and manufactures small rockets and space systems for commercial, military and civil government customers. The company’s primary products are satellites and launch vehicles, including low-orbit, geosynchronous-orbit and planetary spacecraft for communications, remote sensing, scientific and defense missions; ground- and air-launched rockets that deliver satellites into orbit; and missile defense systems that are used as interceptor and target vehicles. OSC also offers space-related technical services to government agencies and develops and builds satellite- based transportation management systems for public transit agencies and private vehicle fleet operators. More information about OSC can be found at http://www.orbital.com
