A lithium-ion battery for space applications developed by GS Yuasa Corporation has been installed on JAXA's MMX Mars moon exploration spacecraft. MMX is headed for Phobos and will be the first mission to attempt a return to Earth.
A lithium-ion battery for space applications developed in-house by GS Yuasa Corporation has been installed on the MMX spacecraft, which is headed for Phobos, a moon of Mars, under a JAXA mission. The battery is designed to withstand large temperature differences and vacuum conditions in space and long-term use, and to supply power when the solar panels cannot receive sunlight.
MMX was launched aboard H3 rocket No. 10 from the Tanegashima Space Center and is scheduled to reach the Mars region after approximately 1 year. The mission aims to be the world's first attempt to bring sand from the Mars region back to Earth, with the return to Earth planned for fiscal 2031.
GS Yuasa Technology, a subsidiary of GS Yuasa Corporation, was responsible for manufacturing. Its batteries have already been installed in more than 260 experimental facilities and satellites in Japan and overseas.
The company's space batteries have also been selected for use on the International Space Station and the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System satellite Michibiki.