An idea for use of skirts made of optical solar reflectors to concentrate solar energy on the solar cell array of geosynchronous spinning spacecraft is presented. From theoretical consideration it is predicted that the practical realization of this concept will allow significant overall cost and weight reduction of such spacecrafts. Geostationary application technology spacecraft generate electrical dc power from solar energy by using cells arrays. The spinners usually have solar cells fixed on the cylinder (spacecraft body), whereas the three-axis stabilized spacecraft use separate sun-tracking arrays. Presently the demand is to generate more and more electrical dc power to meet the ever increasing capacity demand of application payloads by increasing the size of solar cell airrays. This, however, has significant impact on cost, weight, size, and deployment reliability factors of the spacecraft.From simple physical considerations, it can easily be visualized that by concentrating the solar energy on the solar cell, the generated electrical dc power per unit solar cell is increased. This concept was utilized in practice by placing solar cells at the focus of a convex lens. Here, as the convex lens concentrates energy (both light and heat) at the solar cell, its obvious rise in temperature affects to a significant extent the quantum improvement of its efficiency. However, by using a suitable cooling system the temperature rise in the solar cell can be controlled. Studies [1-4] on solar power satellites have shown the use of plane optical solar mirrors to increase the concentration of solar energy on the solar cell array, thereby overcoming the intrinsic efficiency limitations of the solar cells. Recently, Kosta [5] has put forth the possibility of the application of plane solar mirror concentrators to reduce the overall solar panel size and hence the number of solar cells of conventional three-axis stabilized geosynchronous spacecraft of the INTELSAT-V, CTS, OTS, and APPLE class. Barring certain constraints to meet the power demands during the transfer orbit phase, the practional realization of this concept seems to be feasible at the moment.In this paper further applications of optical solar mirror (aluminized Kepton type) to geosynchronous spinning spacecraft of the ANIK, PALPA, etc., class are presented. Analysis Fig. 1 depicts a geosynchronous application technology spacecraft (ANIK type) with attached skirt of optical solar mirror inclined at an angle of 0 to the spinning axis.The following notations are used:
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