Novel environmental protection for multi-junction solar cells

On-orbit flexible solar arrays that will be deployed from a rolled-up configuration require compatible optical coatings to provide maximum power output and protect the cells from the space radiation environment. The coatings must protect the cell from solar UV and Atomic Oxygen, and be resistant to ionizing radiation. To respond to this need, we have developed thin film coatings to reject UV, transmit from 320nm to 1800nm, and dissipate static charge with alternative transparent conductive oxide materials. We are currently working to transfer this proven technology to flexible coverglass alternatives. Our development efforts and environmental test results are presented.