EaglePicher Technologies Awarded Lithium Ion Battery Contract from Orbital Sciences Corporation for ICESat-2 Satellite 

July 8, 2013

EaglePicher Technologies, LLC, has been selected by Orbital Sciences Corporation to provide lithium ion batteries to support the ICESat-2 Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite based on Orbital’s LEOStar-3 design.  The lithium ion batteries designed by EaglePicher for ICESat-2 incorporate many of the design features that have been successfully utilized by Orbital in 13 of its GEOStar commercial communications satellites, the first of which were launched in 2008. 

“We are honored to have been selected by Orbital as the key battery supplier for this important scientific mission that will help NASA scientists build a better understanding of Earth’s system and its response to natural or human-induced changes,” said Mr. Ron Nowlin, Vice-President of EaglePicher Aerospace and Alternative Energy Storage.  “This award demonstrates Orbital’s confidence in EaglePicher’s reliable and innovative lithium ion battery solutions provided for the aerospace industry, and builds upon the strong partnership formed by GS Yuasa and EaglePicher.”

EaglePicher’s ICESat-2 lithium ion batteries utilize GS Yuasa’s Generation III LSE134 lithium ion cells.  EaglePicher and GS Yuasa formed a strategic alliance in 2004 to provide lithium ion battery solutions for the aerospace industry combining GS Yuasa’s heritage and expertise in large format lithium ion cells with EaglePicher’s time-proven leadership in aerospace battery design, manufacturing, integration, and test.  The ICESat-2 lithium ion batteries will be designed, manufactured, and tested at EaglePicher’s Aerospace facility in Joplin, MO.  ICESat-2 is a continuation of the global time series of precision ice topography measurements initiated by the first ICESat mission. ICESat-2 will measure changes in the elevation of the polar ice sheets to understand their contribution to current and future sea-level rise. It also will characterize polar-sea ice thicknesses and global vegetation heights to understand their connections to the Earth system. The ICESat-2 spacecraft is scheduled for launch in 2016.