Highly Flexible Solar Sheets With High Specific Power for Stratospheric Flight Applications

Abstract

MicroLink has developed highly flexible solar sheets that exhibit high specific power and are suitable for stratospheric flight applications. Here we present reliability test data as well as actual stratospheric flight data of these solar sheets. Data from the 24-hour high-altitude balloon flight that was performed in September 2019 out of Baltic, SD at an altitude of 19km showed peak power output of 421W/m2 of MicroLink's panel at an operating temperature of 24°C. This translates into a specific power of the solar sheets of 1,668 W/kg including top sheet and adhesive layers.