This paper presents a power-centric systems-engineering approach for PlanarSats and foratto-, and femto-class spacecraft where surface-limited power dominates design. We reviewagency practices (The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), EuropeanSpace Agency (ESA), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)) and the American Instituteof Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) framework, then extend them with refinedlow-power subcategories and a log-linear method for selecting phase- and class-appropriatepower contingencies. The method is applied to historical and conceptual PlanarSats toshow how contingencies translate into required array area, allowable incidence angles, andduty cycle, linking power sizing to geometry and operations. We define the operationalpower envelope as the range of satellite orientations and conditions under which generatedpower meets or exceeds mission requirements. Consistent with agency guidance, sizing isperformed to the maximum expected value (MEV) (CBE plus contingency); when boundingor stress analyses are needed, we report the maximum possible value (MPV) (MaximumPossible Value) by applying justified system-level margins to the MEV. Results indicatethat disciplined, phase-aware contingency selection materially reduces power-related riskand supports reliable, scalable PlanarSat missions under severe physical constraints.
Uludağ et al. (Wed,) studied this question.