IEEE 4th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, Waikoloa, HI, May 7-12, 2006

THE SOLAR SPECTRUM ON THE MARTIAN SURFACE AND ITS EFFECT ON

PHOTOVOLTAIC PERFORMANCE
Geoffrey A. Landis1, Dan Hyatt2, and the MER Athena Science Team
1
NASA Glenn Research Center
21000 Brookpark Road, M/S 302-1, Cleveland, OH 44135
2
NASA SHARP Program
Elyria High School, Elyria, OH 44035

ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION
Solar cells operating on the surface of Mars receive a Solar cells operating on the surface of Mars receive a
spectrum of illumination different from the AM0 spectrum, different spectrum of illumination from the AM0 spectrum,
since the sunlight is filtered by dust suspended in the since the sunlight is filtered by dust suspended in the
atmosphere. This spectrum changes with the amount of atmosphere. This spectrum changes with the amount of
dust in the atmosphere, as well as with air mass change dust in the atmosphere, as well as with the change in air
due to time of day and season. This spectral variation mass due to time of day and season [1,2]. In order to
affects the performance of solar cells. We used data from design solar arrays for the Martian surface [3], and to
Mars Exploration Rovers to measure this spectrum. By predict the performance during operation [4], it is desirable
comparing the measured intensity with the known to measure the solar spectrum on the surface, and
reflectance of the pancam calibration target on the rovers calculate how this affects solar cell performance
Spirit and Opportunity, we measure the solar spectrum The twin rovers of the Mars Exploration Rovers
reaching the surface. The effect of this spectrum on the mission, Spirit and Opportunity, landed on Mars in January
performance of solar cells is then calculated based on the 2003 [5]. One of the instruments of the MER mission is
spectral response of several different solar cell types. the MER Calibration Target. This calibration target
consists of an 8cm x 8cm target with a 6-cm central
shadow post, positioned on rear solar panel of both rovers
(Figure 1). The target has three concentric rings, with
nominal reflectivity of 60%, 40%, and 20% respectively.
The spectral characteristics of the calibration targets were
measured before launch [6]. During the mission, these
targets are repeatedly photographed by the Pancam
instrument.

METHOD
The Pancam consists of two photometrically-calibrated
cameras with silicon CCD-array focal planes, each with 8
narrow-band filters [6]. The radiatively calibrated ("RAD")
dataset of the pancam allows each pixel to be converted
into an absolute intensity to produce a value for the
2
radiance in W/m -nm-sr. The absolute radiance
calibration of the Pancam is within about 10%, and the
filter-to-filter precision of the reflectance measurements is
about 3% or less [7]. Given the known reflectance of the
calibration target [6] and the measured intensity of
reflection, the intensity of sunlight on the calibration target
can be used to calculate the actual incident intensity of the
sunlight on Mars.
The calibration target includes a shadow pole used to
produce a shadow on the calibration target. Figure 2
shows an example of the data set, showing the calibration
target as viewed by the Pancam on Mars. Note that the
shadow of the shadow post is not completely dark,
indicating indirect (scattered) light. By comparing the
Figure 1: calibration target on the rear solar panel (inset incident intensity in the fully illuminated portion of the ring
shows target detail). The pancam is atop the white mast. with the intensity of the same ring in a shadowed spot, the
 Landis and Hyatt, IEEE 4th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, 2

global and scattered intensity of sunlight can be retrieved; 0.7

the direct component can then be calculated by
subtraction. From this the transmission of the atmosphere 0.6 Sun angle
is measured. (degrees
from
Since dust settles on the calibration target as it is 0.5 horizontal)
78.5
exposed on the surface of Mars, the calibrated reflectance
0.4 76
of the target drifts from the pre-flight value with time. The 63
measurements of the calibration target used were from the 54.5
0.3 43.5
first ten days after landing, before significant amounts of
33
dust had settled. 0.2

0.1

0
400 500 600 700 800 900 1000
Wavelength (nm)

Figure 3: Global solar intensity at the Spirit landing site in

Gusev Crater, plotted for wavelength 400 to 1000 nm, for
sun angles ranging from 33° above the horizon (bottom
curve) to 78.5° above the horizon (top curve). Tau is
approximately 0.93 for these curves.
0.6

0.5
sun angle
(degrees from
0.4 horizontal)
77.5
76
0.3 63
54.5
Figure 2: calibration target as viewed by the pancam on 43.5
Mars (image courtesy of NASA/JPL and Cornell 0.2

University).
0.1

RESULTS 0
Solar intensity 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000
Wavelength (nm)
The amount of dust in the atmosphere is characterized
by the optical depth ("tau"). The optical depth tau during Figure 4: Global solar intensity at the Opportunity landing
Spirit's first week on Mars, when this data set used here site in Meridiani Planum, plotted for wavelength 400 to
was taken, was about 0.91 (measured in the blue, 440 1000 nm, for sun angles from 43° (bottom curve) to 78°
nm) to 0.95 (in the red, 980 nm), while the optical depth (top curve). Tau is approximately 0.94 when these curves
during Opportunity's the first week on Mars was about were measured.
0.93 (at 440 nm) to 0.95 (at 980 nm) [10]. The optical
1
depth decreased from this value during the primary
mission, dropping to a value as low as 0.2 at the Spirit site
Sun
in mid-winter. 0.8 angle in
The radiometrically-corrected data files from the MER degrees from
horizontal

Pancam investigation were retrieved from the NASA 0.6

78
75
Planetary Data System [8]. The subset of calibration 62
target images that contained the full filter set from the first 55
ten sols after landing were selected from this data set. By 0.4 44
34
comparing the measured intensity of the reflection from
the calibration target with the pre-flight value, using 0.2
standard radiometric calculations [9] the global, direct, and
scattered intensity were found for various sun angles on
both Spirit and Opportunity. Figures 3 shows the global 0
400 500 600 700 800 900 1000
solar intensity at the Spirit landing site, in Gusev Crater, as
Wavelength (nm)
calculated from the intensity of the white ring of the cal
target. Figure 5: Atmospheric transmission for the global sunlight,
Likewise, figure 4 shows the global spectrum for the 400 nm to 1000 nm, for varied sun angles (averaged for
Opportunity landing site. Spirit and Opportunity data, tau approximately 0.94).
 Landis and Hyatt, IEEE 4th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, 3

By dividing this measured spectrum by the known highest response to red and infrared improved in
spectrum outside the atmosphere, the fraction of light performance, on the other hand, had improved
transmitted through the atmosphere can be calculated as performance under Mars illumination. The change is
a function of wavelength. This is shown in figure 5. To slightly greater for sun angles near the horizon, where the
smooth out the data, here the graph shown is the average incident light travels through a greater airmass and hence
of the Spirit and Opportunity transmission. is filtered more by the reddish dust. The cell with the
greatest improvement in performance was the filtered
Spectrum of Direct and Scattered Light GaAs cell, since the GaInP filter removed the blue portion
of the spectrum.
The spectrum of the scattered ("indirect") component of
the light can be measured using an identical technique, Hence, under Martian illumination, the top (GaInP)
using the intensity of the shadowed area of the target. subcell of the multi-cell stack is the cell which limits the
From this, the direct sunlight can be calculated by short-circuit current of the three-cell tandem stack. Since
subtracting the scattered light from the global spectrum. the GaInP short-circuit current decreases by as much as
The spectrum of the direct and scattered sunlight are 13.8% (at the lowest sun angle, 33 degrees), while the
compared in Figure 6. The scattered sunlight is very middle cell increases by 2.8%, if the subcells were
much enriched in long-wavelength ("red") light compared matched in current at AM0, the mismatch under high-
to the direct beam, as expected from the reddish color of angle Mars sunlight is as much as 16.6%.
the sky.

0.5

EFFECT ON SOLAR CELL PERFORMANCE

0.4
The effect of the atmospheric dust is separated into 77
direct
two overall effects: a decrease in overall intensity, and a scattered
spectrum shift. The intensity as a function of dust optical 0.3
depth has been covered elsewhere [3].
The spectral effect is calculated as a spectral factor 0.2
equal to the Isc of the cell (or subcell) under Martian 43

spectrum, divided by the Isc under AM0 illumination of the

same intensity. Factors greater than one indicate 0.1
77

improved performance under Martian spectrum. 43

The short circuit current of the cell under Martian and

0
AM0 illumination is calculated by integration of the 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000
spectrum times the cell spectral response, using spectral Wavelength
response of test cells measured at NASA Glenn.
Spectral factor was calculated for a number of cell Figure 6: Comparison of the spectrum of direct and
types. Of significant interest is the performance of a scattered sunlight on the Spirit calibration target at
GaInP solar cell, since this is the top subcell of the three- wavelength from 400 to 1000 nm, for sun angles of 43 and
junction cell [11], and is the cell which limits the short- 78 degrees above the horizontal (tau approximately 0.93).
circuit current. The measured spectral response of this
cell is shown in figure 7. For comparison, we also
measured a GaAs cell, both as a single-junction GaAs 1
solar cell, and also as a GaAs cell as the middle element 0.9
of a tandem with a GaInP top cell. [labeled GaAs(mid)] .
The GaInP filter serves to remove the blue part of the 0.8
spectrum, wavelengths less than about 700 nm, from the 0.7
light reaching the GaAs cell.
0.6
The Ge subcell of the multijunction cell was not
measured, since the wavelength of peak response of Ge 0.5
is beyond the range of spectral measurements made by 0.4
the MER Pancam. Since the Ge subcell is never the
current-limiting junction, knowledge of the Ge performance 0.3

under Mars illumination is not required. 0.2

These were compared with a silicon cell, which is
0.1
responsive to light of wavelength as long as 1000 nm
The calculated spectral shift factors are tabulated in 0
200 400 600 800
table 1.
nm
As expected, the cells with the highest response in the
blue degraded in performance under the red-rich Martian Figure 7: Spectral response (expressed as external
spectrum, and the amount of degradation increased as the quantum yield, QY) of the GaInP top cell of the three-
sun angle approached the horizontal. The cells with the junction cell type used on the MER rover.
 Landis and Hyatt, IEEE 4th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, 4

IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, Vol. 2, May

Solar Elevation (degrees above horizon) 1990, pp. 1263-1270.
Cell Type 33 44 55 63 76 78.5 [4] R. Ewell and D.R. Burger, "Solar Array Model
InGaP(top) 86.2 84.9 85.3 81.4 90.7 90.9 Corrections from Mars Pathfinder Lander Data,"
GaAs 94.1 93.2 93.8 93.1 97.2 97.2 Proceedings of the 26th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists
GaAs(mid) 102.8 102.2 103.1 101.6 103.8 103.7 Conference, Sept.-Oct. 1997, pp. 1019-1022.
Si 100.4 100.5 100.4 100.5 100.4 100.5 [5] G. Landis, "Exploring Mars with Solar-Powered
Table 1: Solar cell spectral factors (in %) at the Spirit site Rovers," Proc. 31st. IEEE Photovoltaic Specialist's
(tau approximately 0.93) for Mars sunlight, for various sun Conference, Orlando FL, Jan 3-7 2005, pp. 858-861.
angles.
[6] J. F. Bell, III, et al., "The Mars Exploration Rover
Athena Panoramic Camera (Pancam) Investigation,"
Journal of Geophysical Research, 108 (E12),
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
doi:10.1029/2003JE002070, 2003, p. 8063.
We would like to acknowledge the MER Athena
Science team, and in particular the Pancam team for the [7] J. F. Bell, III, J. Joseph, J. N. Sohl-Dickstein, H. M.
radiometrically calibrated data, and Dave Scheiman for the Arneson, M.J. Johnson, M. T. Lemmon, and D. Savransky
spectral response data. Subsequent to this analysis of the "In-flight Calibration and Performance of the Mars
initial few sols of the mission, a much more detailed model Exploration Rover Panoramic Camera (Pancam)
of spectrum for the extended MER mission was put Instruments," Journal of Geophysical Research, 111,
together by Bell, Savransky, and Wolff of the MER Athena E02S03, doi:10.1029/2005JE002444 (2006).
Pancam team [12], examining the color of the sky as a
[8] NASA, Planetary Data System (PDS): MER data files
function of the amount of the dust in the atmosphere.
are found at the MER Analyst's Notebook,
http://anserver1.eprsl.wustl.edu/
[9] W. L. Wolfe, Introduction to Radiometry, International
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