A plate folding and unfolding device and a solar panel structure are provided. The plate folding and unfolding device includes a cam fixed with first plate piece, and a rotating shaft is disposed inside the cam in an axial direction of the cam; a connecting rod, where the connecting rod includes a first end and a second end that are opposite to each other, the first end is connected vertically to the rotating shaft, and the second end is fixed to a second plate piece; a positioning shaft, where the positioning shaft is disposed, on the connecting rod; and an elastic piece, where the elastic piece is disposed on the connecting rod, one end of the elastic piece is connected to the positioning shaft, where a groove that accommodates the positioning shaft is disposed at at least one location of the outer peripheral surface of the cam.

Deployable devices, systems, and methods are provided. Some embodiments include a system that may include: multiple frames configured to support multiple elements; multiple longerons; multiple diagonals coupled with the multiple longerons; and multiple battens. One or more battens may be coupled with at least one or more longerons and one or more frames such that the respective batten is offset at least along a length of the respective longeron with respect to at least a hinge point between the respective longeron and another longeron from the multiple longerons or along a length of the respective frame with respect to a hinge point between the respective frame and another frame from the multiple frames. Some embodiments include a method for ensuring synchronous deployment of a system that may include orienting a hinge axis coupled with at least one longeron substantially perpendicular to a hinge axis coupled with two or more frames.

At least first and second solar panels are provided, wherein: each of the first and second solar panels is comprised of a substrate having one or more solar cells bonded thereto, and a frame for supporting the substrate and the solar cells; the frame has a cutout or opening in a center of the frame under the solar cells and, when deployed, the cutout or opening enables cooling of the solar cells through the substrate by exposing a back side of the substrate for transferring or radiating heat directly through the cutout or opening of the frame; and the frame of the first solar panel is configured to be nested inside the cutout or opening of the frame of the second solar panel when the first and second solar panels are stowed in a stacked configuration.

In a solar power generator, a plurality of first solar cell strings (51) are formed in a way that, in each first solar cell string (51), two or more first solar cells (41) are connected in series and disposed in descending order of potential, with an end narrower in width facing one end (E1) in a first direction (D1), from another end (E2) in the first direction (D1). A plurality of second solar cell strings (52) are formed in a way that, in each second solar cell string (52), two or more second solar cells (42) are connected in series and disposed in descending order of potential, with an end wider in width facing the one end (E1) in the first direction (D1), from the another end (E2) in the first direction (D1). Each of the plurality of first solar cell strings (51) and each of the plurality of second solar cell strings (52) are aligned alternately along the second direction (D2) that is orthogonal to the first direction (D1).

A multijunction solar cell including a substrate and a top (or light-facing) solar subcell having an emitter layer, a base layer, and a window layer adjacent to the emitter layer, the window layer composed of a material that is optically transparent, has a band gap of greater than 2.6 eV, and includes an appropriately arranged multilayer antireflection coating on the top surface thereof.

A system for harvesting solar energy on a spacecraft includes a stiff substrate layer and a working layer disposed on the substrate layer to provide at least one of a photovoltaic or a reflective function. In a first operational state, the substrate layer is arranged as a tape spring to store potential energy which causes the substrate layer to uncoil and provide, in a second operational state, a photovoltaic module and/or a solar concentrator.

Solar collectors can provide power for electricity, thermal propulsion, and material processing (e.g., mining asteroids). In one aspect, an apparatus for collecting solar energy and simultaneously protecting against damage from a resulting energy beam includes a solar energy collection system including at least one concentrator and a target configured to use, store, or convert the solar energy, the collection system configured to cause solar energy to focus on the target, at least one sensor configured to detect misalignment of the concentrator by determining that some or all of the collected solar energy is offset from the target, and a safety system configured to redirect the energy or interpose a safety structure for shielding other non-target systems from receiving too much solar energy from the collection system.

A deformable support apparatus includes a deformable body configured to transition between at least an extended state and a contracted state where a stiffness of the deformable body in the extended state is greater than a corresponding stiffness of the deformable body in the contracted state. The deformable body includes a first member and a second member coupled to and in opposition to the first member, and arranged about a longitudinal axis. In the extended state, the first member has at least a first curved portion and the second member has at least a second curved portion. The at least a first curved portion is a positive curved portion with respect to the longitudinal axis and the at least a second curved portion is a negative curved portion with respect to the longitudinal axis.

System and method for direct solar energy to device transmission includes collecting and converting solar radiation energy to electrical energy by at least one satellite, generating a transmissive energy from the electrical energy, forming a transmissive energy beam, transmitting the energy beam from space directly to an electronic device located on Earth, receiving the energy beam by the electronic device's rectenna, converting the energy beam to alternating current, matching rectenna's antenna impedance with the rectenna's rectifying circuit impedance, rectifying the alternating current to direct current, and powering a load of the electronic device.

A launch vehicle to transport at least one payload into an earth orbit, wherein the launch vehicle comprises a plurality of solar cells on its outer surface. Furthermore, a manufacturing method for a launch vehicle with a plurality of solar cells on its outer surface and a transport method for at least one payload using a launch vehicle with a plurality of solar cells on its outer surface are provided.