An Analysis of Battery Preservation Measures on the DEM Product Performance of TanDEM-X

Abstract:
The satellites TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X are in orbit since 16 and 13 years respectively. This is much longer than the planned life time of 5.5 years. Hence, components like the lithium-ion batteries age and their performance degrade increasingly. In consequence, operational scenarios need to be adapted, e.g., by reducing the maximal duration of an acquisition. This paper assesses an idea to reduce the stress on the battery by lowering the transmit duty cycle of an acquisition. It provides an analysis on how a decreased duty cycle reduces the power consumption and the voltage drops in the batteries. In addition, the deterioration of the DEM product performance is evaluated and justified.