Solar power remains the primary energy source for spacecraft. However, conventional gallium arsenide solar cells are expensive and offer limited improvements in specific power, driving the development of more efficient, lightweight and cost-effective photovoltaic technologies for space applications.

Rapid progress on multiple fronts

Multiple technology pathways are making rapid progress.

Perovskite solar cells have achieved a series of breakthroughs in recent years. In June 2026, a team led by Tan Hairen at Nanjing University, in collaboration with Renshine Solar, developed a 65-square-centimeter all-perovskite tandem photovoltaic module with a certified conversion efficiency of 26.2%, verified by Japan's Electrical Safety and Environment Technology Laboratories (JET). The research was published in Nature.

The technology stacks multiple perovskite layers with different light-absorption capabilities, enabling a broader spectrum of sunlight to be converted into electricity. Requiring only submicron-thick materials, the cells can generate more than 10 times the power of conventional rigid solar cells at the same weight, potentially reducing satellite mass and launch costs.

Flexible photovoltaic technology has also made significant engineering progress. The Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed an ultra-thin flexible monocrystalline silicon solar cell measuring just 80 micrometers thick. Lightweight, bendable and foldable, the cell costs about one-tenth as much as conventional space-grade gallium arsenide solar cells.

In May 2026, the technology was sent to the China Space Station aboard the Tianzhou-10 cargo spacecraft to undergo in-orbit testing, including exposure to particle radiation and atomic oxygen erosion. Researchers described the lightweight and highly efficient flexible solar panels as the "energy heart" of future large-scale space applications.

China is also making advances in multi-junction tandem solar cells. In May 2026, Shenzhen-based Heijing Optoelectronics announced that its 16.2-square-centimeter triple-junction tandem solar cell achieved a conversion efficiency of 29.67%, with a specific power output of around 1,200 watts per kilogram, significantly outperforming conventional technologies.

Meanwhile, flexible solar arrays developed by the Fifth Academy of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation have entered large-scale production. On May 31, 2026, three of the four satellites launched aboard a single rocket for a satellite internet technology demonstration mission were equipped with the flexible solar arrays, successfully completing in-orbit verification.

Broadening application potential

The application prospects for space photovoltaic technologies continue to expand.

By the end of 2025, China had submitted an application to the International Telecommunication Union for frequency and orbital resources covering 203,000 additional satellites across 14 satellite constellations. Advanced space photovoltaic systems are expected to support satellite constellations, space stations, lunar research stations and deep-space exploration missions.

Looking further ahead, China's "Zhuri," or "Chasing the Sun," space solar power station project achieved a breakthrough in one-to-many microwave wireless power transmission in May 2026, making China the only country to establish a complete end-to-end technological chain in the field.

According to the country's roadmap, China aims to build a megawatt-class in-orbit demonstration space solar power station by 2030 and a gigawatt-class space solar power station by 2050.

As demand for space infrastructure continues to grow, space energy technologies are evolving from supporting aerospace systems into a potential trillion-yuan commercial market, creating a new growth engine at the intersection of China's aerospace and new energy industries.