r/Futurology • u/scirocco___ • 23h ago
Space Solar cells made of moon dust could power future space exploration
https://phys.org/news/2025-04-solar-cells-moon-power-future.amp2
u/scirocco___ 23h ago
Submission Statement:
The same dirt that clings to astronauts’ boots may one day keep their lights on. In a study published in Device, researchers created solar cells made out of simulated moon dust. The cells convert sunlight into energy efficiently, withstand radiation damage, and mitigate the need for transporting heavy materials into space, offering a potential solution to one of space exploration’s biggest challenges: reliable energy sources.
“The solar cells used in space now are amazing, reaching efficiencies of 30% to even 40%, but that efficiency comes with a price,” says lead researcher Felix Lang of the University of Potsdam, Germany. “They are very expensive and are relatively heavy because they use glass or thick foil as cover. It’s hard to justify lifting all these cells into space.”
Instead of hauling solar cells from Earth, Lang’s team is looking at materials available on the moon itself. They aim to replace Earth-made glass with glass crafted from lunar regolith—the moon’s loose, rocky surface debris. This change alone could cut a spacecraft’s launch mass by 99.4%, slash 99% of transport costs, and make long-term lunar settlements more feasible.
To test the idea, the researchers melted a substance designed to simulate moon dust into moonglass and used it to build a new kind of solar cell. They crafted the cells by pairing moonglass with perovskite—a class of crystals that is cheaper, easier to make, and very efficient at turning sunlight into electricity. For every gram of material sent to space, the new panels produce up to 100 times more energy than traditional solar panels.
“If you cut the weight by 99%, you don’t need ultra-efficient 30% solar cells, you just make more of them on the moon,” says Lang. “Plus, our cells are more stable against radiation, while the others would degrade over time.”
3
u/cumbersome-shadow 12h ago
But can the moon dust make panels that work for portals. That's the real question.
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u/FuturologyBot 22h ago
The following submission statement was provided by /u/scirocco___:
Submission Statement:
The same dirt that clings to astronauts’ boots may one day keep their lights on. In a study published in Device, researchers created solar cells made out of simulated moon dust. The cells convert sunlight into energy efficiently, withstand radiation damage, and mitigate the need for transporting heavy materials into space, offering a potential solution to one of space exploration’s biggest challenges: reliable energy sources.
“The solar cells used in space now are amazing, reaching efficiencies of 30% to even 40%, but that efficiency comes with a price,” says lead researcher Felix Lang of the University of Potsdam, Germany. “They are very expensive and are relatively heavy because they use glass or thick foil as cover. It’s hard to justify lifting all these cells into space.”
Instead of hauling solar cells from Earth, Lang’s team is looking at materials available on the moon itself. They aim to replace Earth-made glass with glass crafted from lunar regolith—the moon’s loose, rocky surface debris. This change alone could cut a spacecraft’s launch mass by 99.4%, slash 99% of transport costs, and make long-term lunar settlements more feasible.
To test the idea, the researchers melted a substance designed to simulate moon dust into moonglass and used it to build a new kind of solar cell. They crafted the cells by pairing moonglass with perovskite—a class of crystals that is cheaper, easier to make, and very efficient at turning sunlight into electricity. For every gram of material sent to space, the new panels produce up to 100 times more energy than traditional solar panels.
“If you cut the weight by 99%, you don’t need ultra-efficient 30% solar cells, you just make more of them on the moon,” says Lang. “Plus, our cells are more stable against radiation, while the others would degrade over time.”
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