NASA's Space Shuttle Orbiter Electrical power for NASA's Space Shuttle Orbiter is provided by fuel cell power plants designed, developed, and built by UTC Power. In the Orbiter, a complement of three 12 kW fuel cells produces all onboard electrical power; there are no backup batteries, and a single fuel cell is sufficient to ensure safe vehicle return. In addition, the water produced by the electrochemical reaction is for the crew to drink and for spacecraft cooling.

In the Shuttle program, the fuel cells have demonstrated outstanding reliability (over 99% availability), with a cumulative operating time in excess of 101,000 hours. The fuel cells have a 2600-hour (6 mission) overhaul interval, at which time all servicing and maintenance is performed at our facility. We have successfully completed an upgrade program that extends the overhaul interval to 5000 hours.

Orbiter fuel cells are our second-generation space power plants; having also produced the fuel cells for the Apollo program. The Orbiter units represent a significant technology advance over Apollo, producing about ten times the power from a similar size package.

For more information about the Space Shuttle and other space programs, please visit the Johnson Space Center and the Kennedy Space Center.