In order to accommodate the increase in spacecraft power demands, the Hughes Electronics Corporation embarked on the development of a new power subsystem for its next generation spacecraft, the HS601HP. The design of the new power subsystem began in 1993 based upon the proven design of the HS601 product line. The goals of the program were to develop a standardized spacecraft design, reduce the manufacturing schedule time, provide a beginning-of-life solar array capability of almost 10 kilowatts and accommodate a broad range of payload power levels ranging from 3 to 7 kilowatts at end of life by selecting standard hardware available from a power catalog. The solar arrays, battery and power control and distribution electronics are available in various designs to meet the specific requirements of a particular spacecraft.
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