The power subsystem for the next generation GOES satellite

Hughes Space and Communications was awarded a contract in January 1998 from NASA´s Goddard Space Flight Center for the design, manufacture, integration and launch of two next generation Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) and options for two additional satellites. The satellites measure weather phenomena as the primary mission and X-rays and charged particles as the secondary missions. This paper describes the GOES electrical power subsystem (EPS) requirements, architecture, hardware and energy balance analysis. As of this writing, the design of the EPS has completed the critical design review phase and the hardware has entered the manufacturing phase