Solar photovoltaic’s are central to NASA’s Artemis missions, serving as the primary power source for the Orion spacecraft and future Gateway lunar outpost. Orion relies on four large solar array wings, which deploy in space to generate more than 11 kW. That’s enough to power life support, navigation, and communications.
The European Service Module powering Orion features four 7-meter-long solar arrays manufactured by Airbus. These arrays convert sunlight into electricity and maintain energy supply throughout the 10-day Artemis II mission, including the lunar fly-by. They rotate on two axes to track the Sun, ensuring continuous power and charging onboard batteries for periods when the spacecraft is in shadow. Each array contains 15,000 gallium arsenide photovoltaic cells, producing roughly 11.2 kW of power.
Future Artemis missions will use Roll-Out Solar Arrays on the Gateway outpost orbiting the Moon. These flexible arrays are designed to provide reliable power for long-term operations. NASA is also developing vertical deployable solar arrays for lunar surface exploration, optimising sunlight collection at the poles where the Sun remains low on the horizon.
During the Artemis I mission, Orion’s solar arrays has so far exceeded expectations, generating 15% more power than planned, demonstrating the efficiency and resilience of the technology.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal







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