The Hubble Space Telescope solar array blanket: post flight technology verification-recent R&D results for the assessment of weld joints

More than 7 years ago the flexible Hubble Space Telescope solar array blanket was designed and manufactured by the European industry with the ambitious goal to realize a retractable solar array system with: (a) full protection against ATOX; (b) full protection of the electrical network against shadowing; (c) a lifetime of 5 years in LEO equivalent to 30,000 thermal cycles. One wing of the solar array was successfully recovered and is now subject of extended post flight investigations under ESA/EsteC contracts. The paper presents, in detail, recent R&D results from the module and interconnection technology which confirm the technological approach of the Hubble Space Telescope solar array.