@ARTICLE{10.3389/fspas.2022.868519, AUTHOR={Abel, Anthony J. and Berliner, Aaron J. and Mirkovic, Mia and Collins, William D. and Arkin, Adam P. and Clark, Douglas S.}, TITLE={Photovoltaics-Driven Power Production Can Support Human Exploration on Mars}, JOURNAL={Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences}, VOLUME={9}, YEAR={2022}, URL={https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspas.2022.868519}, DOI={10.3389/fspas.2022.868519}, ISSN={2296-987X}, ABSTRACT={A central question surrounding possible human exploration of Mars is whether crewed missions can be supported by available technologies using in situ resources. Here, we show that photovoltaics-based power systems would be adequate and practical to sustain a crewed outpost for an extended period over a large fraction of the planet’s surface. Climate data were integrated into a radiative transfer model to predict spectrally-resolved solar flux across the Martian surface. This informed detailed balance calculations for solar cell devices that identified optimal bandgap combinations for maximizing production capacity over a Martian year. We then quantified power systems, manufacturing, and agricultural demands for a six-person mission, which revealed that photovoltaics-based power generation would require <10 t of carry-along mass, outperforming alternatives over ∼50% of Mars’ surface.} }