Solar power supply for spacecraft

An electrical power supply comprising:

• (a) a substrate of flexible dielectric material;
• (b) a stress relieving electrically conductive wire mesh, a peripheral portion of said wire mesh being affixed to said substrate;
• and
• (c) a plurality of semiconductor devices for photovoltaic conversion of sunlight to electrical energy, each semiconductor device having an electrical terminal connected to said wire mesh.

A solar power supply for a spacecraft, comprising a telescoping rigid support structure that is extendible from a retracted position to a fully extended position, a substrate sheet of flexible dielectric material attached to said telescoping support structure, said substrate sheet being foldable so as to assume a compact stowage configuration when said support structure is in said retracted position and to assume an elongate operational configuration when said support structure is in said fully extended position, said substrate sheet having first and second apertures, a first stress-relieving electrical conductor being affixed to said substrate sheet spanning said first aperture and a second stress-relieving electrical conductor being affixed to said substrate sheet spanning said second aperture, a plurality of semiconductor devices for photovoltaic conversion of sunlight to electrical energy, a first electrical terminal of each semiconductor device being electrically connected to said first stress-relieving electrical conductor and a second electrical terminal of each semiconductor device being electrically connected to said second stress-relieving electrical conductor, metallic traces being formed on said substrate sheet in a pattern defining circuit means for electrically connecting said first and second stress-relieving electrical conductors to connectors for coupling power from said semiconductor devices to an electrical load on said spacecraft.