Loughborough University and Swansea University have launched a groundbreaking three-year collaboration to pioneer advanced solar technology tailored for space missions. The project focuses on developing lightweight cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar cells deposited directly onto ultra-thin glass, offering a transformative alternative to traditional silicon and multi-junction solar cells currently used in space.
With the UK space industry valued at £17.5 billion and rapidly expanding, the demand for efficient, scalable, and cost-effective solar power is soaring. The European Space Agency forecasts an increase in space solar power demand from 1 MWp/year to 10 GWp/year by 2035, driven by satellite constellations like SpaceX’s Starlink and emerging space-based manufacturing sectors such as semiconductors and fiber optics.
The CdTe-on-glass technology, first tested aboard the AlSat-Nano CubeSat, offers several advantages: it is lighter, cheaper, and highly resistant to space radiation. It targets 20% efficiency in space conditions and has already achieved 23.1% efficiency on Earth. This innovation promises longer service life and reduced launch costs due to lower payload weight.
The collaboration is supported by UK Research and Innovation’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (UKRI EPSRC) funding and leverages world-class facilities. Swansea’s Centre for Integrative Semiconductor Materials (CISM) provides advanced tools like the AIXTRON CCS MOCVD system for thin-film deposition, while Loughborough contributes its National Facility for High-Resolution Cathodoluminescence Analysis, essential for studying solar and optoelectronic devices.
Professor Michael Walls of Loughborough’s Centre for Renewable Energy Systems Technology (CREST) highlighted the critical importance of reducing payload weight to cut launch costs and extend mission durations. Professor Paul Meredith, Director of CISM at Swansea, emphasized the project’s alignment with the UK’s strategic vision to capture a significant share of the global space technology market by offering higher specific power and lower costs.
The initiative also benefits from strong industry partnerships, including contributions from six companies across the UK, Canada, and Germany, providing technical expertise and in-kind support valued at £112,000.
This collaboration marks a significant step toward revolutionizing solar power for space applications, potentially enabling more efficient satellite operations and advancing space-based manufacturing capabilities in the coming decade.
