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BlueStar Advanced Technology Corporation (BATC) as part of its participation in the USAF/NASA Li Ion Battery Development Consortium has developed a candidate 25-Ah cell for the Mars 2001 Lander. Although the capacity and cycle life requirements for this application are relatively modest, the low temperature performance (−20°C) and pulse discharge requirements (60A) are somewhat more challenging. Geometric requirements within the spacecraft also constrain the cell design leading to a cell with an aspect ratio quite different from those 25-Ah Li ion cells previously developed by BATC. The design of this cell and its compliance with the performance requirements of the mission will be discussed.

BlueStar Advanced Technology Corporation (BATC), under contract to the USAF, is developing large Li ion cells and batteries which will satisfy the performance requirements of future Mars Lander and Rover missions. The present scenario for the Lander mission calls for a 28-V, 25-Ah battery which will discharge at the C/5 to C rate and be charged at the C/5 to C/2 rate. The mission requires > 500 cycles at a 50% depth of discharge and an operating temperature of -20°C to + 45°C. The Rover mission calls for a 14-V, 7-Ah battery which will operate in the temperature range -30°C to + 45°C with all other requirements being identical to that of the Lander. Cell designs, characteristics and test data will be presented as well as preliminary battery designs.

BlueStar Advanced Technology Corporation (BATC), with the sponsorship of the USAF and Canada's Department of National Defence, is developing large (20 to 50-Ah) Li ion cells for use in aircraft and spacecraft. The effort initially explored the graphite/LiCoO2 chemistry packaged in both cylindrical and prismatic configurations and then focused on cylindrical designs while continuing to explore variations on the basic chemistry which would optimize specific energy and capacity retention. Several generations of the 20-Ah cells have been fabricated and tested. 20-Ah cylindrical cells have been delivered to the USAF and are under test at JPL and Sandia National Laboratories. More recently the cylindrical design has been extended upwards to 45-50 Ah and downwards to 5-7 Ah. These cells have been characterized with respect to capacity, rate capability, low temperature performance and cycle life.

As a part of a program jointly supported by the USAF and Canada's Department of National Defense, BlueStar is developing large (50 to 100-Ah)lithium ion cells for aircraft and spacecraft applications. Presently, 20-Ah cells are being developed as the first stage of the scale-up process and the design of these cells involves several tradeoffs related to the specific nature of this application. This paper will present the design of this first generation cell in the context of these tradeoffs as well as presenting the results of the performance and life testing of these cells.