Advancing Perovskite Solar Cell Reliability for Extreme Space Environments

Making space exploration more accessible requires affordable power-generation solutions for commercial applications, in which photovoltaics (PVs) play a pivotal role. Metal halide perovskite (MHP) solar cells have emerged as one of the most promising technologies for low-cost space PVs owing to their high power conversion efficiency, outstanding power-to-weight ratio, and cost-effectiveness compared to the commonly used triple-junction III-V solar cells. Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) offer multiple advantages: They are lightweight, solution-processable, and can be fabricated on flexible substrates for expandable solar panels. They also demonstrated significant resilience to various types of cosmic radiation, including electrons, protons, ultraviolet light, and gamma rays. However, despite their strengths, PSCs still lag in long-term stability compared to silicon and III-V cells, especially under extreme space conditions, such as significant temperature variation in a high-vacuum environment, making stability enhancements essential for extended space applications. This review discusses the challenges and potential of PSCs for space use and highlights their high radiation tolerance, thermal stress, and outgassing. We present an overview of the current qualification tests for space-grade solar cells and propose a qualification evaluation of thin-film solar cells for space applications, which is critical for evaluating their reliability in terms of long-term performance in extreme space environments.