With the rapidly advancing technology in the field of concentrator photovoltaics for terrestrial applications, the aerospace industry is eager to innovate and incorporate this idea. Concentrated solar light offers a cheaper but more complex solution to extract more power without increasing the number of solar cells. For extraterrestrial applications generally the photovoltaic elements account for nearly half of the costs on solar array, this decreasing the number of solar cells significantly contributes to lowering the cost of electric power in space.

The solar array studied in this thesis provides a technologically innovative solution to reduce the cost of electrical energy for LEO satellites, in particular, to suit, for instance, the OneWeb satellite constellation mission at 1200 km altitude. Apart from being a structurally challenging design, another very important consideration is thermal feasibility. Concentrated solar light introduces hot spots of high temperatures, and heat dissipation at those locations is crucial. Hence, this thesis focuses on investigating the thermal performance of ConCur baseline design in orbit using thermal software ESATAN, and optimizing the design according to the thermal requirements, as well as performing electrical power calculations.

To broaden the knowledge regarding concentrator photovoltaics on Earth and in outer space, a literature study was first performed and the main findings are summarized in this document. Also, heat transfer in space is briefly explained as part of the methodology for modelling the solar panel in ESATAN, including a step-by-step guide. After modelling the panel it was put into the Low Earth Orbit simulated by ESATAN which provide outputs on temperature and absorbed flux results. The panel was optimized and it was found that the maximum cell temperature reaches +122 degrees C when nonoperational, and +70 degrees C when producing electrical energy. These and more results were post-processed and summarized and relevant conclusions were drawn. Knowing the panel temperature in orbit and slightly altering its dimensions, the amount of electrical power produced was calculated to match the required 300 W. Also a schematic of the hardware was made and the most probably cell layout designed. In addition, this report includes a brief cost estimation and comparison to the conventional solar panel of the same dimensions and that is capable of producing the same amount of power. It was estimated that the electrical power by ConCur would cost around 112 Euro/Watt which is 10 times less than conventional solar array. Finally, relevant recommendations are listed for further increasing the technology readiness level (TRL) of the concept.