Spire > Case Studies > Innovative Battery Testing for U.S. Space Force SBIR Program with Spire and EnerSys®

Innovative Battery Testing for U.S. Space Force SBIR Program with Spire and EnerSys®

Technology Category

Other - Battery
Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Application Development Platforms

Applicable Industries

Telecommunications

Applicable Functions

Product Research & Development
Quality Assurance

Use Cases

Experimentation Automation

Services

System Integration
Testing & Certification

About The Customer

The customer in this case study is the U.S. Space Force Space System Command (SSC). The SSC is a division of the U.S. Space Force, responsible for the acquisition, development, and sustainment of space capabilities. This includes the operation of network-centric warfare systems for the joint force. The SSC, through their Science and Technology Directorate (SSC/ZAD), is also involved in the awarding of missions under the Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program. The SSC was in need of a solution that could provide a low-cost platform for testing technologies in orbit, specifically EnerSys® ZeroVolt™ 18650 battery cells.

The Challenge

The U.S. Space Force Space System Command (SSC) was facing a significant challenge in their space technology development portfolio. Traditional methods for testing technologies in orbit were proving to be expensive and time-consuming. However, on-orbit demonstration is a critical step in proving technology readiness. The SSC, through their Science and Technology Directorate (SSC/ZAD), was in need of a solution that could provide a low-cost platform for testing technologies in orbit. They required a solution that could rapidly integrate and operate science and technology experiments in space. The specific mission was to test EnerSys® ZeroVolt™ 18650 battery cells in orbit, which required a platform that could accommodate the integration of these battery cells and facilitate their operation in space.

The Solution

Spire, in partnership with EnerSys®, provided an innovative solution to SSC's challenge. They offered their 3U LEMUR cubesatellite as a platform to host the ZeroVolt™ 18650 battery cells provided by EnerSys®. This cubesatellite provided a flexible, rapidly deployed, end-to-end testing platform for EnerSys® and SSC. Spire's space services addressed the identified gap in SSC's space technology development portfolio by offering rapid integration and operations of experiments in a space-as-a-service model. Spire's ability to assemble one satellite every 10 days, coupled with a consistent launch schedule, enabled the SSC satellite to go from design to launch in just 12 months. Spire's solution included on-site integration services, launch, FCC licensing, and on-orbit checkout and ground station operations.

Operational Impact

The operational results of this partnership have been highly successful. In a period of 12 months, Spire integrated the high energy, long life EnerSys ZeroVolt™ Lithium-ion battery cells into a 3U cubesat and deployed it on orbit. The satellite has been operating nominally since July 2021 and is performing on-orbit experiments to collect payload performance data. This has allowed the SSC to test the battery cells in a real-world environment, providing valuable data on their performance. The success of this mission demonstrates the effectiveness of Spire’s space-as-a-service model, and its potential for future technology testing and development in space.

Quantitative Benefit

Spire's ability to assemble one satellite every 10 days allowed for rapid deployment.
The SSC satellite went from design to launch in just 12 months.
The satellite has been operating nominally since July 2021.