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Page 12 of 22 Song et al. Energy Mater. 2026, 6, 600019

Figure 5. (A) Proton radiation tolerance of CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 -based PSCs compared to a c-Si photodiode as a function of the proton dose, j .
[23]
Copyright © 2016, Wiley. (B) Device architecture and cross-sectional SEM images of an ultra-thin flexible PSC achieving a specific power
of 50 W g -1[159] . Copyright © 2024, Elsevier. (C) Summary and comparison of PCE and weight-specific power density of ultra-thin solar
cells [159] . Copyright 2024, Elsevier. (D) Photograph of a realized perovskite panel installed for outdoor characterization [171] . Copyright ©
2025, Wiley. (E) Summary of PCEs for perovskite-based photovoltaics across various device sizes [171] . Copyright © 2025, Wiley.

extended thermal cycling or micrometeoroid impacts on thin films. Nevertheless, the remarkable radiation
tolerance of perovskites highlights their promise as candidates for more robust spacecraft power systems.

Specific power and deployability
In terms of specific power, PSCs already surpass conventional solar cells. State-of-the-art multi-junction
panels based on gallium indium phosphide/gallium indium arsenide/germanium (GaInP/Ga(In)As/Ge)
triple junctions can achieve a specific power of 1.3 W g by reducing the cell thickness from 150 to 50 μm.
-1
[57]
By comparison, silicon arrays typically provide less than 0.1 W g -1[158] . In contrast, ultra-thin PSCs on 1-3 μm
colorless polyimide have achieved 50 W g at the laboratory scale without encapsulation [Figure 5B] [159-161] .
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Even when accounting for the mass of deployment structures and wiring, perovskite-based systems can
deliver specific power an order of magnitude higher than traditional arrays, potentially enabling up to
tenfold reductions in cost for equivalent power generation [Figure 5C]. This exceptionally high specific
power is particularly advantageous for mass-constrained missions, including small CubeSats or ambitious
concepts such as solar sails [162,163] . Additionally, the flexible or rollable form factor of perovskite modules
allows much more compact stowage compared to rigid silicon or GaAs panels [164] . With lighter, larger
deployable arrays, substantially higher on-orbit power generation becomes feasible. Although research on
flexible conventional solar cells, such as thin GaAs on Kapton , is ongoing, these approaches remain costly
[165]
and relatively heavy. In contrast, perovskites offer the potential to reduce launch costs while increasing
available power in orbit.

Efficiency and power output
Single-junction perovskite cells have achieved record efficiencies of 27.0% [14,166] at the lab scale, comparable to
silicon (~27%) [15,167] and approaching those of state-of-the-art triple-junction GaAs cells (~39% under 1 sun,