SM BEXEL Secures Battery Manufacturing Technology for Low Earth Orbit Satellites... Targets Aerospace Market

SM BEXEL has secured manufacturing technology for highly reliable lithium-ion batteries that can be used in low Earth orbit satellites, and is expanding its business into the private aerospace market.

SM BEXEL, an affiliate of SM Group's manufacturing division, said on Wednesday that it had secured cell and pack manufacturing technology using materials that meet space environment testing standards. The technology was developed through a government-funded project, "Development of 2900Wh-Class Lithium-Ion Cells and Packs for Low Earth Orbit Satellites," which it is carrying out jointly with Seoul National University.

The project is led by Seoul National University, with SM BEXEL participating as a joint research and development institution. Its main goals are to develop high-performance lithium-ion cells and 2900Wh-class battery packs for low Earth orbit satellites, while verifying their safety and reliability under conditions required in the actual space environment, including vacuum, vibration, impact, temperature, and radiation.

During the project, SM BEXEL optimized its anode and cathode material coating processes and cell assembly manufacturing technology. It also secured manufacturing technology to consistently maintain the alignment of the cathode, separator, and anode inside the cell and to control electrode surface quality.

Batteries for satellites require higher levels of durability and reliability than ordinary batteries used on the ground. They must operate stably over long periods even in extreme conditions, including the vacuum of space, rapid temperature changes, and radiation, as well as the vibration and impact generated during satellite launches.

The cells and battery packs developed to date have passed space environment tests, demonstrating their safety and reliability. Improvements to the charge-discharge algorithm enabled battery packs with a capacity of more than 2900Wh, and performance tests confirmed that the batteries retained more than 95% of their initial capacity after 2500 charge-discharge cycles at a depth of discharge (DOD) of 30%. The company also secured cell assembly manufacturing technology capable of producing around 200 cells per month.

Building on this technology, SM BEXEL plans to accelerate its entry into the private space market. It will seek opportunities to collaborate on supplying lithium-ion battery packs for private satellites to major domestic satellite manufacturers, and aims to develop specialized batteries for aerospace applications, including batteries for low Earth orbit satellites, into a new growth engine.

"Through this research and development, we have secured not only battery performance capable of withstanding the extreme space environment, but also cell manufacturing technology for actual production," said Choi Sehwan, CEO of SM BEXEL's Battery Business Division. "Building on the lithium-ion battery development and production capabilities we have accumulated, we will focus our sales efforts on the market for highly reliable aerospace batteries, including those for low Earth orbit satellites."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.