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Page 14 of 22 Song et al. Energy Mater. 2026, 6, 600019

Table 1. Quantitative comparison of photovoltaic (PV) technologies for space applications
Initial Specific 10-year
PV technology efficiency power Radiation tolerance performance Manufacturing cost TRL [186]2
(USD W )
-1
(%) (W g ) retention 1
-1
Low
c-Si 22-27 [167] 0.1-0.4 [158] (severe degradation 70%-85% [157] 0.2-0.4 [174] 9
> 10 p cm )
12
-2 [23]
Medium
III-V (GaAs, 30-39 [168] 0.3-1.5 [57] (significant degradation 80%-90% [157] 150-1,000 [173] 9
multi-junction)
> 10 p cm )
-2 [155]
13
25-27 [166] ;
Perovskite 34.8 [14] 2-50 [159] High (tolerant up to Unvalidated < 0.1 [176] 4, 5
-2 [28]
16
(tandem) ~10 p cm ) (target)
1 Representative in-orbit performance retention values from satellite telemetry; Technology Readiness Level (4: component or breadboard
2
validation in laboratory environment, 5: component or breadboard validation in relevant environment, 9: actual system “flight prove” through
successful mission operations).
Consequently, PSCs are likely to be deployed initially in less critical roles or as supplemental power sources
until their reliability is firmly established.
Thermal tolerance represents another limitation. PSC materials and device architectures have yet to
demonstrate stability under sustained high-temperature operation (> 150 °C), where phase transitions or
decomposition are likely to occur. In contrast, Si and GaAs solar cells can endure higher temperatures, albeit
with some efficiency loss [184] . Effective thermal management - through optical reflectors or sun-tracking to
avoid overheating - will be indispensable in PSC array design. Integration and scalability also remain
unresolved. The reliable interconnection of many thin-film cells into deployable arrays is an engineering
challenge. Furthermore, fabricating large-area modules (> 100 cm ) without performance loss remains a work
2
in progress and must be addressed before operational deployment can be realized .
[185]
CONCLUSION AND OUTLOOK
Overall, PSCs combine high efficiency, exceptional specific power, and intrinsic radiation tolerance,
positioning them as strong alternatives to conventional Si- and GaAs-based solar cells for space PV
applications, particularly in LEO. Experimental studies consistently indicate that PSCs experience less severe
radiation-induced degradation than traditional photovoltaics, with partial performance recovery enabled by
defect-tolerant lattice dynamics. However, the lack of comprehensive device-level validation under fully
representative LEO conditions highlights the early stage of technological maturity. Progress toward space
deployment will therefore depend on coordinated efforts to establish robust encapsulation, thermal
management, and space-qualification pathways through targeted demonstration missions.

DECLARATIONS
Authors’ contributions
Made substantial contributions to the conception of this mini-review and proposed its topic: Kim, G. H.
Conducted the literature survey and prepared the manuscript: Song, S.; Cho, H. W.
Collected literature and summarized the reports: Kim, H.; Kim, M.

Availability of data and materials
Not applicable.

Financial support and sponsorship
This research was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF), funded by the Ministry
of Science and ICT (RS-2023-00301974 and RS-2023-00246901), and by the Human Resources Development
program of the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP), funded by the
Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy of Korea (RS-2024-00398425).