Moon photovoltaics utilizing lunar regolith and halide perovskites

Powering future Moon settlements requires reliable and cost-effective energy generation with high specific power. Here, we propose halide perovskite photovoltaics (PV) fabricated on regolith-based moonglass that could be produced on the Moon, thereby saving 99% of material transport weight. This enables effective specific power ratios, over 22–50 W/g, a factor of 20–100 higher compared to traditional space PV solutions, while not compromising radiation shielding, reliability, and mechanical stability as done until now. Using anorthosite high-glass-forming regolith simulant, we achieve transparent moonglasses that allow depositing high-quality perovskites. We achieve performances on par with references, revealing the potential of perovskite-based Moon photovoltaics, and propose routes to achieve power conversion efficiencies of 23%. The moonglass exhibits high tolerance to high-energetic proton irradiation, which, when combined with the radiation tolerance of perovskites, allows highly radiation-tolerant, reliable devices paving the way to future sustainable lunar-energy solutions.