Development of a Solid State Power Switch for the Cassini Spacecraft

Abstract

The Cassini spacecraft uses a new hybrid device to replace the load switching relays used on previous missions. These hybrid devices provide additional functions such as circuit breaking, controlled voltage turn-on and current limiting features. The current limiting function makes an uninterruptible power system possible. This hybrid, the Solid State Power Switch (SSPS), performs the function of connecting the 192 Cassini loads to the spacecraft power bus in response to commands from the Command and Data subsystem.