Photovoltaic Investigation on the Lunar Surface (PILS): Design Considerations and Ground Testing

The PILS (Photovoltaic Investigation on the Lunar Surface) platform consists of flight demonstrations of multiple solar cell technologies from multiple companies that could be used for future lunar missions. It also includes a solar charging experiment to shape design considerations of high voltage solar arrays on the Moon that could power in-situ resource utilization systems and other lunar surface assets. This paper describes the design considerations of the PILS platform and ground testing performed prior to spacecraft integration. The platform is scheduled to operate on the lunar surface at Lacus Mortis in late 2022.