Nippon Denko Co., Ltd. (the “Company” or “we”) has confirmed the battery temperature-stabilizing effect of a vanadium dioxide solid-solid phase change material (SSPCM) jointly developed with Kansai University (Chairperson of the Board of Trustees: Keiji Shibai). A vanadium dioxide SSPCM-based battery temperature-stabilizing device for satellites (the “device”) was installed on the 1U-sized CubeSat “DENDEN-01” and successfully demonstrated its functionality in space.

The device was mounted on “DENDEN-01,” a 1U-sized CubeSat developed by a group consisted of Kansai University (Project Manager: Associate Professor Masaki R. Yamagata, Faculty of Chemistry, Materials and Bioengineering) and other members, and deployed from the International Space Station (ISS) on Monday, December 9, 2024 (JST). After deployment, communication tests successfully retrieved satellite information, confirming that the battery maintained its targeted operating temperature range without dropping below the lower temperature limit, even in cold conditions. This is the world’s first successful space demonstration of the vanadium dioxide SSPCM-based temperature-stabilizing device for on-board equipment.

The market for CubeSats is growing rapidly, and commercial use is expanding in a wide range of fields, particularly in satellite communications, earth observation (meteorology, disaster prevention, resource exploration), and space technology verification (performance test of components and equipment). With the success of this demonstration experiment, the Company aims to pave the way for new possibilities for the use of the vanadium dioxide SSPCM in space. Together with the market growth of CubeSats, this technology is expected to be adopted as an important temperature control technology for many satellites and space probes.

Key Points of This Announcement

• Successful space demonstration of a vanadium dioxide SSPCM-based battery temperature-stabilizing device.
• Maintains battery temperature within the appropriate range, even under extreme space conditions.
• Aims to apply the vanadium dioxide SSPCM to satellites and space probes as a battery stabilization technology in the space environment.

About DENDEN-01

DENDEN-01 is a 1U-sized CubeSat selected for the “J-CUBE Program,” an initiative jointly organized by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the Non-profit Organization, the University Space Engineering Consortium (UNISEC) at the end of fiscal year 2021. The J-CUBE program provides opportunities for domestic universities and colleges to deploy CubeSats from the Japanese Experiment Module “Kibo” aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
DENDEN-01 is carrying out on-orbit demonstrations of various energy technologies and high-load missions, including a battery temperature-stabilizing device utilizing solid-solid phase change materials (SSPCM). These demonstrations will contribute to the future development of CubeSats.

Related Links

• Kansai University News Release
  Disruptive Energy Technology Demonstration Satellite, DENDEN-01 / KANSAI UNIVERSITY/Breakthrough in CubeSats: Power-Free Battery Thermal Management Successfully Demonstrated in Space
• June 25, 2024, Nippon Denko News Release
  Our Vanadium Dioxide Latent Heat Storage Material Has been Adopted as a Heat Control Material in Ultra-Small Satellites -Demonstration Experiment in Outer Space This Fall-
• June 25, 2024, Kansai University Press Release
  (Japanese only)
• JAXA’s Official Live-streaming Channel on YouTube
  (Japanese only)
• DENDEN-01 Project Official Website