How important are solar cells for the future of space travel?
Solar cells convert the energy of sunlight directly into electricity, making them attractive as a power supply in space. This is because no fuel transport is required and there’s no need to deal with the resultant waste.
Today solid-state solar cells are commonly in operation in space. However, energy density – for instance the power conversion efficiency per mass – remains a challenge for the relatively heavy solidstate solar modules. Perovskite and organic solar cells qualify as extremely lightweight and flexible alternative candidates for the future fabrication of solar panels. Due to their outstanding power densities, they will enable much broader uses of solar cells for future missions. Their flexibility will enable new solar module designs since flexible panels can be rolled up or folded.
Apart from an extensive potential to save weight and costs, perovskite and organic solar cells create the possibility for novel space mission designs such as solar-powered deepspace missions and efficient electric propulsion. These are an example of how novel material developments can result in major changes for future space missions.