The NASA welding assessment program

Abstract

The potential cost and performance advantages of welding was understood but ignored by solar panel manufacturers in the U.S. Although NASA, DOD and COMSAT have supported welding development efforts, soldering remains the only U.S. space qualified method for interconnecting solar cells. The reason is that no U.S. satellite prime contractor found it necessary, due to mission requirements, to abandon the space proven soldering process. It appears that the proposed NASA space station program will provide an array requirement, a 10 year operation in a low Earth orbital environment, that mandates welding. The status of welding technology in the U.S. is assessed.