There are no convenient power sockets or gas stations on the moon (at least not yet). Robotic explorers must either bring all the power they need with them or find a way of absorbing energy from their surroundings. Red Rover converts sunlight into electricity using solar panels. We are developing a process to construct these panels in-house.

A typical solar panel has four parts; solar cells to generate energy, a clear cover-glass to protect the cells from the environment, a stiff substrate to provide strength, and a laminate or encapsulant to glue everything together. The solar cells are only two hundred micrometers thick, so they must be handled very carefully to prevent chips, splits, and strains. Sealing the cells between the substrate and cover-glass without damage requires careful management of temperature and vacuum pressure. Applying too little pressure allows air bubbles to form between the cells and the cover-glass. Applying too much pressure can crack the fragile solar cells or cover-glass.

Our current process yields good results on small three cell solar panels. We will scale up the panel size and begin production of full scale panels for the rover over the next few weeks.

Soldering Solar Cells Together

Aligning the Solar Cells

Building the Vacuum Bag

Final Check Before Baking