Effects of storage on Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer-Earth Probe (TOMS-EP) 9-Ah Super NiCdTM battery cells

Due to launch vehicle delays, the 22-cell 9 Ampere-hour (Ah) Super NiCd^TM Battery designed and built for the NASA GSFC Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer-Earth Probe (“TOMS-EP”) satellite mission was required to be stored, in an activated condition, for nearly four years. The super NiCd^TM cells were manufactured by Eagle-Picher Industries, Inc. Power Systems Department located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The battery was designed and manufactured by Hughes Aircraft Company Battery Operations located in Torrance, California. The TOMS-EP satellite was designed and manufactured for NASA GSFC by TRW Defense Systems Division Space & Electronics Group located in Redondo Beach, California. This paper discusses the design characteristics and manufacture of the Super NiCd^TM cells and battery, the conditions and requirements for prolonged activated storage, data obtained during storage and final integration and testing, and a summary of performance on-orbit since the 02-July-1996 launch