International Space Station (ISS) |
An experimental 3D-textured solar cell is set to be bolted to the outside of the International Space Station (ISS), where it will experience 16 "sunrises" each day as part of a harsh performance test.
A proposal submitted by W. Jud Ready, a professor of materials science at Georgia Tech, to study the performance of his "3D" textured solar cell in space was recently accepted by the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), the organization that manages research onboard the ISS. His solar cell, made from carbon nanotubes coated in an experimental light-absorbing material, will hitch a ride to the ISS sometime next year.