EnerSys, the global leader in stored energy solutions for industrial applications, is proud to announce that its ABSL™ lithium-ion space battery was successfully launched onboard NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft. The launch took place on October 14, 2024, aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy Rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
NASA’s Europa Clipper Mission was led by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in partnership with the John Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) and will explore Jupiter’s moon Europa to investigate its potential for supporting life. The spacecraft will conduct nearly 50 flybys of Europa, carrying scientific instruments to analyze the icy moon’s surface and subsurface ocean.
EnerSys' ABSL™ lithium-ion space battery powers the spacecraft’s flight and scientific instrumentation. The battery, consisting of three 8s72p modules connected in parallel, provides over 540 ampere-hours of capacity through a 28-volt system, performing various charge and discharge cycles throughout the mission's duration. The battery was specifically designed to minimize magnetic interference with the spacecraft.
“EnerSys is honored to play a critical role in powering the Europa Clipper mission,” said Mark Matthews, EnerSys President, Specialty Global. “This achievement underscores our engineering excellence and decades of experience collaborating with NASA to develop custom, high-performance energy storage solutions for space exploration.”
EnerSys' ABSL™ lithium-ion space batteries are renowned for their versatility and durability, offering unique features like deep discharge cycles, long lifespan, and the ability to withstand extreme vibrations. The ABSL™ space battery technology has been used in over 300 spacecraft and launch vehicles.
