Australian-made printed flexible solar cells successfully deployed on Optimus-1 satelliteCSIRO partners with Space Machines Company to launch printed solar cells into space

Australia's national science agency, CSIRO, has successfully launched state-of-the-art printed flexible solar cell technology into space today (March 5).

The launch was made possible by the partnership between CSIRO and Australian space transportation provider, Space Machines Company, and it was carried out aboard Australia's largest private satellite, Optimus-1, on Space X's Transporter-10 mission.

According to Dr. Kimberley Clayfield, the Space Program Director at CSIRO, one of the biggest challenges in spacecraft development is creating low-mass, high-efficiency power systems. In order to address this challenge, CSIRO is exploring the potential of printed flexible solar cells as a reliable energy source for future space endeavors.

Dr. Anthony Chesman, Group Leader of Renewable Energy Systems at CSIRO, explained that the surface of Space Machines Company's Optimus-1 satellite is now equipped with eight mini-modules of Australian-made printed flexible solar cells developed by CSIRO. This marks a major milestone for Space Machines Company, as stated by their CEO, Rajat Kulshrestha.

Dr. Chesman also mentioned the team's plans to conduct in situ testing to gather information on the performance of the perovskite cells as they orbit the planet. He also highlighted the pioneering research that has already been done on the potential performance of these cells in a space environment.

In addition, Dr. Chesman emphasized the unique opportunity that this solar technology could present for Australian manufacturing. The research on the potential of printed flexible solar cells in space conducted by CSIRO is available in a recent paper published in ACS Applied Energy Materials.

David Lamy
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