Feasibility study of low-temperature operable electric power supply for CubeSats using passive thermal control with VO2-based solid–solid phase change material

•A novel passive thermal control utilizing a VO2-based solid-solid PCM was proposed to demonstrate the potential of a low-temperature operable EPS for CubeSats.•The PCM block exterior prepared with W-doped VO2 and epoxy resin successfully maintained a lithium-ion cell at a suitable temperature.•Sufficient latent heat generated from the PCM block provided stable charge-discharge performance of the lithium-ion cell even in vacuum and low-temperature environments.