II.5 SPS AND WESTERN EUROPEAN INDUSTRIES The basic qualification for European research and development cooperation in an international SPS programme has to be proved by industrial hardware experiences in technology fields affecting the various SPS subsystems. In Table 5.1 a rough overview of the SPS affecting technology status and development efforts in Europe is presented, which was just recognizeable for us regarding the limited scope of this study. While this is a relatively good basis anywise, the efforts, of course, in directing to more SPS specific hardware tasks have to increase significantly, if Europe wants to deal with an SPS programme. (Some proposals are made in the part III of this study for the medium term study recommendations). In the following, the most important development and technology subjects, which we have identified affecting SPS are pointed out. II.5.1 Solar Energy Conversion and Materials Degradation Increasing national fundings to reduce production cost of silicon cells for terrestrial applications have been observed. However this will have a positive effect on the cost reduction of space- qualified solar cells not before 1985 to 88. Governmental funding has been invested to develop GaAs, CdS and other cell types for terrestrial application in France and the U.K. Solar array development leading from the extension of spacelab towards space platforms has been investigated and paperstudies are under contract with ESA. German and French experiments for free-flying exposure requirements in space are planned to fly on the Long Duration Exposure Facility of NASA. II•5.2 High Voltage DC Power Distribution and Conditioning Initial investigations for high voltage arrays (up to 2 kV) are conducted under ESA contract.
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