Call for Chapters: Advanced Photovoltaics for Space Exploration

Editors

NAFEES AHMAD, Chengdu University of Technology, China
Yuwei Duan, Chengdu University of Technology, China

Call for Chapters

Proposals Submission Deadline: June 7, 2026
 Full Chapters Due: September 20, 2026
 Submission Date: September 20, 2026

Introduction

As humanity sets its sights on deeper space missions, from lunar bases to crewed voyages to Mars, the demand for reliable, high-efficiency power sources has never been greater. "Advanced Photovoltaics for Space Exploration" provides a cutting-edge examination of next-generation solar cell technologies designed specifically for the extreme conditions of outer space. This book bridges the gap between fundamental material science and practical spacecraft engineering, covering topics such as radiation-hardened multi-junction cells, flexible and lightweight photovoltaics, and power systems for low-light, high-radiation environments. Each chapter delves into innovative concepts like perovskite and quantum dot solar cells, analyzing their performance, degradation mechanisms, and scalability for long-duration missions. By integrating recent advancements from space agencies and research institutions worldwide, this volume serves as an essential resource for engineers, scientists, and students aiming to push the boundaries of off-Earth energy systems. Ultimately, it highlights how breakthroughs in photovoltaics will power humanity’s next giant leap into the cosmos.

Objective

This book aims to systematically bridge the gap between laboratory-scale photovoltaic innovations and their practical implementation in extreme space environments, addressing key issues such as radiation hardening, low-intensity performance, and long-term reliability. It will accomplish this by providing unified degradation models, standardized testing protocols, and technology readiness roadmaps for emerging materials like perovskites and multi-junction cells. By integrating fragmented research from materials science, spacecraft engineering, and radiation physics, the book will advance current knowledge toward enabling power sources for deep-space missions, lunar bases, and interstellar probes that are currently constrained by existing solar cell limitations

Target Audience

The target audience for this publication includes: • Academic Researchers and Scholars in photovoltaics, materials science, aerospace engineering, and energy systems • Graduate, Undergraduate Students studying renewable energy, space engineering, chemistry, material science, and physics • Industry Professionals and Engineers working in satellite design, space missions, and solar energy technologies • Space Agencies and Organizations (NASA, ESA, private aerospace companies) involved in spacecraft power systems • Policymakers and Technology Strategists interested in sustainable energy solutions for space exploration

Recommended Topics

Overview of space mission power requirements • Key environmental stressors: vacuum, temperature extremes, micrometeoroids, and plasma • terrestrial vs. space solar cell operation • Historical milestones: from Vanguard-1 to modern satellites • Semiconductor basics: bandgap, p-n junction, and carrier generation/recombination • The photovoltaic effect under AM0 (air mass zero) illumination • Key performance parameters: Jsc, Voc, fill factor, efficiency, and radiation degradation • Equivalent circuit modeling and spectral response in space • Types of space radiation • Displacement damage dose (DDD) and ionization damage • Impact on minority carrier lifetime, diffusion length, and cell output • Predicting degradation: proton/electron fluence and damage equivalent fluence methods • Evolution of space PV materials: Si, GaAs, InGaP, InGaAs • Lattice-matched vs. metamorphic multijunction cells • Wide-bandgap top cells and tunnel junctions • Flexible and lightweight substrates: thin-film CIGS, perovskite, and amorphous Si • Back-surface field (BSF), passivation, and point-contact designs • Multijunction current matching and radiation-resistant subcell materials • Modeling tools for space-optimized structures • Ground testing: electron/proton accelerators, UV exposure, thermal cycling, and LEO/VAC tests • In-flight calibration methods (high-altitude balloons, shuttle experiments) • Lifetime prediction and end-of-life (EOL) performance metrics • Principles of solar concentration in space • Advantages for high-efficiency multijunction cells at low temperature • Thermal management challenges in vacuum • Case studies • Solar array configurations: rigid panels, flexible blankets, roll-out designs • Power conditioning: maximum power point tracking (MPPT), charge controllers, and energy storage interfaces • Deployment mechanisms and redundancy strategies • Interaction with electric propulsion systems • Perovskite solar cells for space • Quantum dot and nanowire-based cells • III-V on Si tandem integration • Self-healing and radiation-annealing concepts • Space manufacturing of PV modules (in-orbit assembly) • Deep space: Mars rovers (Spirit, Opportunity, Perseverance), Juno, New Horizons • Manned missions • challenges for extreme distances and low irradiance

Submission Procedure

Researchers and practitioners are invited to submit on or before June 7, 2026, a chapter proposal of 1,000 to 2,000 words clearly explaining the mission and concerns of his or her proposed chapter. Authors will be notified by June 21, 2026 about the status of their proposals and sent chapter guidelines.Full chapters of a minimum of 10,000 words (word count includes references and related readings) are expected to be submitted by September 20, 2026, and all interested authors must consult the guidelines for manuscript submissions at https://www.igi-global.com/publish/contributor-resources/before-you-write/ prior to submission. All submitted chapters will be reviewed on a double-anonymized review basis. Contributors may also be requested to serve as reviewers for this project.

Note: There are no submission or acceptance fees for manuscripts submitted to this book publication, Advanced Photovoltaics for Space Exploration. All manuscripts are accepted based on a double-anonymized peer review editorial process.

All proposals should be submitted through the eEditorial Discovery® online submission manager.

Publisher

This book is scheduled to be published by IGI Global Scientific Publishing, an international academic publisher of the "Information Science Reference", "Medical Information Science Reference", "Business Science Reference", and "Engineering Science Reference" imprints. IGI Global Scientific Publishing specializes in publishing reference books, scholarly journals, and electronic databases featuring academic research on a variety of innovative topic areas including, but not limited to, education, social science, medicine and healthcare, business and management, information science and technology, engineering, public administration, library and information science, media and communication studies, and environmental science. For additional information regarding the publisher, please visit https://www.igi-global.com. This publication is anticipated to be released in 2027.

Indexing Information for Prospective Authors

IGI Global Scientific Publishing meets the criteria for inclusion in major indexing services such as Scopus; however, it is important to note that all indexing decisions are made independently by these services. IGI Global Scientific Publishing books are selectively indexed by the indexing organization after publication. Indexing cannot be guaranteed for any book prior to publication, and the indexing organization has complete control over the final selection and timeline.

Important Dates

June 7, 2026: Proposal Submission Deadline
June 21, 2026: Notification of Acceptance
September 20, 2026: Full Chapter Submission
November 22, 2026: Review Results Returned
January 3, 2027: Final Acceptance Notification
January 17, 2027: Final Chapter Submission

Inquiries

NAFEES AHMAD
Chengdu University of Technology
nafees@cdut.edu.cn

Yuwei Duan
Chengdu University of Technology
yuwei-duan@cdut.edu.cn
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