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Advanced Space Photovoltaic Technology

  • Chapter
The Behavior of Systems in the Space Environment

Part of the book series: NATO ASI Series ((NSSE,volume 245))

Abstract

Solar arrays have been the predominate power sources in space for over thirty years, beginning with the launch of the first U.S. solar powered satellite in 1958 [Ref. 1] . Since that time, hundreds of kilowatts of solar power have been placed in orbit on commercial, civilian and military satellites, and small arrays have been transported and left behind on the surfaces of the Moon and Mars. At least one photovoltaic array has been in orbit for nearly two decades, and is still functional [Ref. 2]. Solar cell efficiencies on the earliest arrays were low, typically around 10%, and much had to be learned about the survivability of solar cells in the space environment. Enormous progress has been made since 1958, both in our understanding of the fundamental mechanisms which limit solar cell efficiency and lifetime, and in our ability to turn that understanding into real system improvements. In the pages that follow we will describe the technologies presently being pursued by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to develop advanced solar cells and arrays, and discuss briefly the improved system capabilities which should result.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio, 44135, USA

    D. J. Flood

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  1. D. J. Flood
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, D.C., USA

    Robert N. DeWitt

  2. Strategic Defense Initiative Organization, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C., USA

    Dwight Duston

  3. University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA

    Anthony K. Hyder

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© 1993 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Flood, D.J. (1993). Advanced Space Photovoltaic Technology. In: DeWitt, R.N., Duston, D., Hyder, A.K. (eds) The Behavior of Systems in the Space Environment. NATO ASI Series, vol 245. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-2048-7_31

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-2048-7_31

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-4907-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-011-2048-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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