On January 29, Sharp announced that the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) small lunar landing demonstration vehicle "SLIM" equipped with the company's thin-film compound solar cells has successfully performed a high-precision landing on the lunar surface and the solar cells were found to function normally. The company announced that it has been confirmed that it is working.
The mini-moon lander demonstrator "SLIM" landed on the moon, photographed and transmitted by the lunar surface transformable robot (LEV-2) "SORA-Q"
(Source: JAXA /Takara Tomy/Sony Group/Doshisha University)
SLIM is a small spacecraft intended to demonstrate high-precision landing technology with errors under 100 meters. The high-precision landing was successful at dawn on January 20, but because the landing position was at the wrong position compared to plan, the solar panels could not generate electricity because there was no light coming in. Power generation then resumed as the sun's position changed, and according to JAXA, communication with SLIM was successfully established at around 11:00 p.m. on January 28.
Thin film solar cells mounted on SLIM
(Source: Sharp)
SLIM is equipped with 26 space-grade thin-film composite solar panels with a capacity of 20.9W each, for a total capacity of about 540W. The chair dimensions are 297mm long x 271mm wide x 0.25mm wide and weighs about 41g. The total weight of the seat installed on the SLIM is approximately 1.07 kg.
Sharp, with support from the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), developed it using technology similar to hybrid three-junction solar cell modules that achieve high efficiency. the highest conversion rate in the world is 32.65% in 2022. It has a structure in which the solar cell is sealed with a thin film, making it light and flexible enough to mount on curved surfaces.
Sharp began developing space solar cells in 1967, and it was first installed on the actual Ume satellite in 1976. As the only solar cell manufacturer in Japan certified by JAXA, the company develops and produces solar cells for use in space and to date, about 190 satellites have been equipped with solar cells produced by the company. In future plans, the company's solar cells will be installed on the Mars satellite sample return mission “MMX”, scheduled for launch in 2026.
