Next-Generation Power Technologies for Deep Space Exploration
A special issue of Aerospace (ISSN 2226-4310). This special issue belongs to the section "Astronautics & Space Science".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026 | Viewed by 220
Special Issue Editor
Interests: power electronics; space power systems; digital design and instrumentation; energy conversion and management for spacecraft; high-reliability electronics for deep-space applications
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The exploration of deep space demands a new generation of power technologies capable of operating efficiently, reliably, and autonomously in extreme environments. Traditional electrical power systems, originally designed for near-Earth missions, face growing challenges as missions venture farther into the solar system and beyond. This Special Issue aims to bring together recent advances in power generation, energy storage, conversion, and distribution for spacecraft, landers, and planetary infrastructures designed for long-duration and high-reliability operations.
Topics of interest include novel architectures for spacecraft power management and distribution, radiation-hardened and fault-tolerant power converters, high-efficiency regulation and control strategies, thermal and energy-balancing methods, and the integration of renewable and nuclear-based sources. Contributions focusing on experimental validation, hardware-in-the-loop testing, and flight-proven implementations are especially encouraged.
By gathering the latest developments in both academic research and industrial practice, this Special Issue seeks to advance the design of next-generation power systems that will enable future deep-space missions, from micro- and nano-satellites to crewed planetary exploration.
Prof. Dr. José A. Carrasco
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Aerospace is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- deep-space exploration
- power electronics
- spacecraft power systems
- energy conversion
- power management and distribution (PMAD)
- high-reliability design
- radiation-hardened electronics
- energy storage
- electric propulsion
- nuclear and solar power systems
- thermal management
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