ESASMART-1ESA Science
   
About SMART-1
SMART-1 factsheet
Towards 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 replay
Services
Comments Bookmark and Share
 
 
 
 
Article Images
Europe reaches the Moon
 
5 November 2004

Artist's impression of the SMART-1 mission
Download:
 HI-RES JPEG (Size: 800 kb)
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.

Credits: ESA
 


SMART-1
Related articles
Attendance form
 
 
 
   Copyright 2000 - 2010 © European Space Agency. All rights reserved.