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Perovskite photovoltaics (PVs) are under intensive development for promise in terrestrial energy production. Soon, the community will find out how much of that promise may become reality. Perovskites also open new opportunities for lower cost space power. However, radiation tolerance of space environments requires appropriate analysis of relevant devices irradiated under representative radiation conditions. We present guidelines designed to rigorously test the radiation tolerance of perovskite PVs. We review radiation conditions in common orbits, calculate nonionizing and ionizing energy losses (NIEL and IEL) for perovskites, and prioritize proton radiation for effective nuclear interactions. Low-energy protons (0.05–0.15 MeV) create a representative uniform damage profile, whereas higher energy protons (commonly used in ground-based evaluation) require significantly higher fluence to accumulate the equivalent displacement damage dose due to lower scattering probability. Furthermore, high-energy protons may “heal” devices through increased electronic ionization. These procedural guidelines differ from those used to test conventional semiconductors.

In support of a sustainable human-lunar presence, there is a need for very large (>100kW) and high-voltage-capable solar arrays, estimated to cost over $150M. Perovskite-based thin film photovoltaics offer substantial advantages over state of the art solar arrays from the perspective of manufacturing large arrays. Many of the challenges perovskite solar cells experience in terrestrial operations, e.g degradation caused by moisture and oxygen exposure, are not applicable in long-term space applications. The solar cells must present thermal and vacuum stability and achieve relatively high power conversion efficiencies to become the next generation space photovoltaic technology. Data suggest that judicious choice of material interlayers plays a strong role in thermal vacuum performance. Perovskites regularly achieve ~23% single junction efficiencies but efficiencies in excess of 30% are possible via tandem devices. Perovskites present many opportunities for integration into multi-junction devices with preliminary investigations and perovskite-silicon, perovskite-CIGS and perovskite-perovskite tandems may be suitable for operation in space. Here we provide an overview of NASA Glenn Research Center’s Space Technology Mission Directorate funded research program to develop novel materials to enable the implementation of perovskite photovoltaic devices long-duration operation in space.

This research is focused on the development of a thermally stable perovskite cell designed for operation in space. We describe the methodology used to test both perovskite cells and component materials, in preparation for eventual space qualification.