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About SMART-1 SMART-1 factsheetTowards final impact Approaching the mission endFrequently Asked QuestionsAsk about the SMART-1 impactJoin the SMART-1 impact observation campaign About the journey About the mission About the Moon Multimedia SMART-1 imagesSMART-1 videosSMART-1 animations3D Flash 'model'SMART-1 wallpaperLaunch replayServices Comments
|  |  |  |  | | | | Article Images |  | Europe reaches the Moon 5 November 2004
 | SMART-1 is the first ESA spacecraft to use the new and more efficient three-layered triple-junction gallium-arsenide (GaAs) solar cells. They have 21% efficiency compared to the 6-12% efficiency of those commercially available previously, which were made from materials similar to the solar cells used in pocket calculators. Soon GaA-based solar cells, which are the subject of further development by ESA and European industry, could also be a very powerful source of energy for other applications on Earth as well as in space.
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