Spacecraft in the outer solar system versus spacecraft in the inner solar system. Spacecraft operating in the inner solar system typically rely on the use of photovoltaic solar panels to generate electricity from sunlight. In the outer solar system, where sunlight is too weak to produce sufficient power, radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) are used as a power source. For example, the radioisotope Plutonium-238 is a very powerful alpha emitter, making it suitable for use in RTGs. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Future Developments in Space Photovoltaics For future missions, it is desirable to reduce the mass of solar panels and increase the power generated per unit area. This will reduce the overall mass of the spacecraft and could make it possible to operate solar-powered spacecraft at greater distances from the sun. The mass of solar panels could be reduced using thin-film photovoltaic cells, flexible roofing substrates and composite support structures. Flexible solar panels are being explored for use in space. The Roll Out Solar Array (also known as ROSA) was deployed on the International Space Station in July 2017. The efficiency of solar panels could be improved by using new photovoltaic cell materials and solar concentrators that intensify incident sunlight. Photovoltaic concentrator solar panels for primary power supply to spacecraft are devices that intensify sunlight on photovoltaic panels. This design uses a flat lens, called a Fresnel lens, which captures a large area of ​​sunlight and focuses it onto a smaller spot. The same principle is used to start a fire with a magnifying glass on a sunny day. Solar concentrators place one of these lenses on each solar cell. This focuses the light from the large area of ​​the concentrator to the smaller area of ​​cells. This helps reduce the amount of expensive solar cells depending on the amount of concentration. Concentrators work best when there is a single light source and the concentrator can be pointed directly at it. This is ideal in space, where the Sun is a single light source. Solar cells are the most expensive part of solar panels, and solar panels are often a very expensive part of the spacecraft. This technology can significantly reduce costs due to the use of fewer materials. Use of Space Photovoltaics in Space Solar Power Space solar power (SBSP) is the concept of collecting solar energy in space and distributing it on Earth. Space solar energy is the energy of the future. It is generated via solar satellites, also called powersats, and the energy is transmitted wirelessly to receiving stations on the Earth's surface. This means of producing electricity has both advantages and disadvantages. The SBSP concept is attractive because space has several major advantages over the Earth's surface for collecting solar energy: In space, it is always solar noon and full sun. This means that solar energy collection is virtually unaffected by the day and night cycles of the.