Quallion lithium ion cells and batteries. Photo: EnerSys.

EnerSys has recently been selected to supply lithium-ion cells and batteries valued at over $60 million to multiple space agencies and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) worldwide, the company announced.

EnerSys subsidiary Quallion will manufacture the lithium-ion raw materials and 72Ah large format lithium-ion cells at its production facilities in Sylmar and Santa Clarita, California. EnerSys subsidiary ABSL Space Products will design, manufacture and test the batteries at its manufacturing facilities in Longmont, Colorado, for U.S.-based space programs, and Oxfordshire, United Kingdom, for European programs. According to EnersSys, the first batteries are scheduled to be shipped later this year and will be used in multiple types of satellites and launch vehicles.

In October 2001, EnerSys-ABSL’s battery became the first lithium-ion battery to power a satellite when launched aboard the Proba 1 spacecraft. QinetiQ Space built the spacecraft for the European Space Agency (ESA) and almost sixteen years later, Proba 1 has become the longest lithium-ion powered mission. Additionally, EnerSys has designed several batteries for manned flight space applications and also manufactures the battery that powers NASA manned spacewalks.