What is space photovoltaic technology?

These space activities require a cost-effective, sustainable source of onboard energy, such as solar photovoltaics. Traditionally, space photovoltaic technology is based on group III–V materials (such as gallium arsenide with indium phosphide and germanium for multi-junction cells) due to their high performance and radiation resistance.

Are solar cells a reliable energy source for aerospace applications?

Solar cells (SCs) are the most ubiquitous and reliable energy generation systems for aerospace applications. Nowadays, III–V multijunction solar cells (MJSCs) represent the standard commercial technology for powering spacecraft, thanks to their high-power conversion efficiency and certified reliability/stability while operating in orbit.

Can solar cells be used for aerospace power systems?

Moreover, in recent years, new SCs technologies based on Cu (In,Ga)Se 2 (CIGS) and perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have emerged as promising candidates for aerospace power systems, because of their appealing properties such as lightweightness, flexibility, cost-effective manufacturing, and exceptional radiation resistance.

Can solar power be used in aerospace?

The aerospace industry has many suitable applications for solar power. Current solar applications in aerospace include satellites, long-duration airplanes, unmanned air vehicles, space exploration vehicles, and spacecraft. The unlimited availability of solar radiation is promising as the industry considers cost, safety, and environmental impacts.

Are solar modules suitable for aerospace applications?

Historically the solar modules implemented for aerospace applications have been conventional (III-V and Si especially [17,39]). To date, solutions to mitigate optical losses due to reflection include antireflective coatings (ARCs) and surface texturing [, , , ].

Can solar panel size be scaled to solar cell efficiency?

The practice of scaling total system mass to solar cell efficiency comes from earlier literature (Mankins, SPS-ALPHA: The First Practical Solar Power Satellite via Arbitrarily Large Phased Array, 2012). Based on the scaling factor and solar panel size from Mankins and Sasaki, we calculated the total solar panel surface area.