Now that the European Space Agency (ESA) is charged with building the new service module for NASA’s Orion manned spacecraft, its solar arrays are now expected to use the X-configuration that the ATV vessel uses (ESA’s ATV is being used as the basis of the service module) rather that the previously planned round/circular ones.
Out with the old and in with the new: The original Lockheed Martin design configuration (top) with its definitive round/circular solar arrays has now been replaced by a service module based on ATV-heritage hardware which will thus use rectagular solar arrays in an X-shape configuration (bottom). Images courtesy: Lockheed Martin and ESA respectively.
