Cheap solar panels mean that orbital solar will never be economical. Orbital solar made sense back when solar panels were super expensive so made sense to use them continuously. Solar panels are so cheap now that people are setting them on the ground.
400W solar panel costs $200 and weighs 40 lbs. If Starship gets down to $100/lb, that is $4000 to put a panel in space. There are thin film panel that weight way less but cost more that would improve the launch cost but still be expensive. That means that will be cheaperp to have many panels on Earth and have enough left for storage.
400W solar panel costs $200 and weighs 40 lbs. If Starship gets down to $100/lb, that is $4000 to put a panel in space. There are thin film panel that weight way less but cost more that would improve the launch cost but still be expensive. That means that will be cheaperp to have many panels on Earth and have enough left for storage.