Toward Rollable Printed Perovskite Solar Cells for Deployment in Low-Earth Orbit Space Applications

The thin physical
profile of perovskite-based solar cells (PSCs)
fabricated on flexible substrates provides the prospect of a disruptive
increase in specific power (power-to-mass ratio), an important figure-of-merit
for solar cells to be used in space applications. In contrast to recent
reports on space applications of PSCs which focus on rigid glass-based
devices, in this work we investigate the suitability of flexible PSCs
for low-earth orbit (LEO) applications, where the perovskite layer
in the PSCs was prepared using either a Ruddlesden–Popper precursor
composition (BA2MA3Pb4I13; BA = butylammonium, MA = methylammonium) or a mixed-cation precursor
composition (Cs0.05FA0.81MA0.14Pb2.55Br0.45; FA = formamidinium). The flexible PSC
devices display a tolerance to high-energy proton (14 MeV) and electron
(>1 MeV) radiation comparable with, or superior to, equivalent
glass-based
PSC devices. The photovoltaic performance of the PSCs is found to
be significantly less dependent on angle-of-incidence than GaAs-based
triple-junction solar cells commonly used for space applications.
Results from a preliminary test of the robustness of the perovskite
film when subjected to LEO-like thermal environments are also reported.
In addition, a unique deployment concept integrating printed flexible
solar cells with titanium–nickel based shape memory alloy ribbons
is presented for thermally actuated deployment of flexible solar cells
from a rolled state.