Science
Ricoh perovskite solar cells Installed on Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) cargo transfer spacecraft1 HTV-X1
Ricoh Company, Ltd. has announced that its perovskite solar cells have been installed on the Space Solar Cell Demonstration System (SDX) on the HTV-X1, the new uncrewed cargo transfer 'spacecraft1' developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), which was launched on October 26. After HTV-X1 delivers supplies to the International Space Station (ISS), JAXA will conduct an in-orbit demonstration.
About this update from Ricoh Company, Ltd.
[{"type":"text","content":"Evaluating solar cell performance through in-orbit demonstration ","length":64,"tagName":"p","attribs":{}},{"type":"text","content":"TOKYO, Oct. 31, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Ricoh Company, Ltd. has announced that its perovskite solar cells have been installed on the Space Solar Cell Demonstration System (SDX) on the HTV-X1, the new uncrewed cargo transfer 'spacecraft1' developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), which was launched on October 26. After HTV-X1 delivers supplies to the International Space Station (ISS), JAXA will conduct an in-orbit demonstration.","length":454,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"image","alt":"SDX on HTV-X1 ©JAXA","displaySize":"","headline":null,"caption":"SDX on HTV-X1 ©JAXA","className":"","disableSlideshowImg":false,"size":{"original":{"width":400,"height":237,"url":"https://media.zenfs.com/en/prnewswire.com/9b02ccb4eb62d478831d2b53ab2a07de"},"resized":{"url":"https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/TSx_r._DjZtP9JBraFCf0Q--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTcwNTtoPTQxODtjZj13ZWJw/https://media.zenfs.com/en/prnewswire.com/9b02ccb4eb62d478831d2b53ab2a07de","width":400,"height":237}},"href":"https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2808195/SDX_on_HTV_X1__JAXA.html","hrefExternal":true,"rel":"nofollow"},{"type":"text","content":"During the in-orbit demonstration, Ricoh's perovskite solar cells are exposed to space for approximately two months. During this period, the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics will be measured, and power generation performance and durability will be evaluated. Conventional satellite solar cells are heavy, which increases launch costs, and they face challenges such as degradation from cosmic rays (radiation travelling through space) and limited power generation under low-light conditions. Perovskite solar cells, by contrast, offer high power generation even at low illumination, strong resistance to cosmic radiation, and potential for lightweight and flexible designs. These advantages make perovskite solar cells promising candidates for future use in space.","length":772,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"As part of its commitment to realising a zero-carbon society, Ricoh has been working on technological development to achieve the practical applications of perovskite solar cells. Since 2017, Ricoh has been participating in joint research with the JAXA Space Exploration I...