Space flight experiment: Advanced solar cells and protective materials on the ISS exterior

A space flight opportunity was seized to fly emerging solar cell, coating, and coverglass technologies in a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) environment while attached to the exterior of the International Space Station (ISS). Included in the flight manifest were nano-crystalline optimized amorphous silicon (a-Si) thin-film, Indium Phosphide (InP), and Inverted Metamorphic (IMM) Photovoltaic (PV) technologies. An array of experimental coatings and coverglass technologies completed the sample set, which formed a part of the 2
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Forward Technology Solar Cell Experiment (FTSCE II), which is part of the larger 7
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Materials on the International Space Station Experiment (MISSE-7). The design and method of flight article preparation is presented herein, as well as detail of preflight environmental tests.