NASA to Send Solar Generator Prototype Developed in Israel to Space

NASA will send a miniature solar generator prototype developed at Israel’s Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) to the International Space Station (ISS), BGU announced Monday. The device was developed by Jeffrey Gordon from BGU’s solar energy and environmental physics department and is meant to improve the power-to-weight ratio of private and commercial spacecraft, making space travel more affordable. The device is approximately the size of a U.S. quarter coin and just 1.7 millimeters thick. Sending the device to space will allow researchers to examine its resistance to cosmic radiation and extreme temperature fluctuations, according to the university.

The International Space Station. Photo: NASA