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.