Japanese energy storage company NGK Insulators said it delivered NAS batteries to the Misasa Deep Space Station (MDSS) of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
The order for the sodium-sulfur (NAS) 1.2MW/8.64MHw batteries came from Meidensha Corporation and will be used to supply electric power to facilities such as the large-scale antenna and prevent communication breakdowns with space probes. The batteries can discharge for six hours.
The system will also stabilise the power supply during any instantaneous voltage drops, and provide load balancing to the grid. Operations started in December.
The MDSS ground station communicates with space probes through its large antenna, which NGK said is one of the largest in the world.
“NAS batteries having large capacity as a strong feature were recently decided for use because they have a track record of being set up at JAXA Tanegashima Space Centre, and capacity (discharge time), environmental tolerance, and lifecycle cost were highly evaluated,” said NGK.
No financial details were disclosed.
NGK won a similar deal from the space centre in February 2021. The batteries were to be used to ensure the reliable launch of vehicles, as well as to improve the reliability of its electric power systems.
