Radiation resistance of MBE-grown GaInP/GaAs cascade solar cells flown onboard Equator-S satellite

The radiation resistance of GaInP/GaAs cascade solar cells grown by molecul ar beam epitaxy (MBE) was tested onboard Equator-S satellite. The short-cir cuit current, open-circuit voltage, and power data mere obtained for a peri od of about half a year. The remaining factors of these parameters were det ermined at the standard end-of-life (EOL) condition of an equivalent dose o f 1 x 10(15) cm(-2) 1 MeV electrons. Electron irradiation tests were also p erformed in the laboratory. Consistent results were obtained with flight an d laboratory data. The remaining power at the EOL condition was 0.89-0.90 f or these cells, (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.