Hey, question for some solar panel expert.
Would it be possible to create a solar panel in the form of foil? I know flexible panels exists but I've only seen ones embedded in plastic like this:
Is the plastic somehow necessary for power generation or could the solar panel layer be sprayed directly on some sort of foil?
Or to put it another way: how densely could we pack a solar panel if we didn't care that much about durability?
Let's say I just want something that will last a month and maybe 100 unfolding-folding cycles. Would it be possible to fit it a box like this:
If strength and weight wasn't an issue then compact folding is entirely possible, considering how they've been using foldable solar panels on satellites since the early days of spaceflight
A rolled panel however would have to use very thin and small cells, which would be less efficient