Energy · Recorded milestone
Silicon solar cell
Recorded year1954
Bell Labs' Chapin, Fuller and Pearson build a practical silicon photovoltaic cell, soon powering phone lines and satellites.
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Led to
- Weather satelliteRecorded · 1960requires
- Communications satelliteRecorded · 1962enables
- First space stationRecorded · 1971requires
- Earth-observation satelliteRecorded · 1972requires
- Satellite rescue beaconsRecorded · 1982requires
- Modular space stationRecorded · 1986requires
- Hubble Space TelescopeRecorded · 1990requires
- Self-sufficient homesRecorded · 1990enables
- Satellite radar interferometryRecorded · 1993requires
- GPSRecorded · 1995requires
- Robot lawn mowerRecorded · 1995enables
- International Space StationRecorded · 1998requires
- Ion-engine spacecraftRecorded · 1998enables
- Gravity-mapping satellitesRecorded · 2002requires
- Satellite SOS in your pocketRecorded · 2003requires
- Solar LED lanternRecorded · 2008enables
- Kepler planet hunterRecorded · 2009requires
- Perovskite solar cellRecorded · 2009enables
- Water ice found at lunar polesRecorded · 2009requires
- Mass-produced solarRecorded · 2010enables
- Methane-tracking satellitesRecorded · 2016requires
- Satellite quantum key exchangeRecorded · 2017requires
- Moving 3D map of the Milky WayRecorded · 2018requires
- James Webb Space TelescopeRecorded · 2021requires
- Clothes that generate powerForecast · ~2030enables
- Hyperspectral satellite constellationsForecast · ~2030requires
- Wildfire-spotting satellitesForecast · ~2030requires
- Space-based missile defenceForecast · ~2035requires
- Cargo airshipsForecast · ~2036enables
- Space gravitational-wave observatoryForecast · ~2037requires
- Superintelligence you wearForecast · ~2075requires
- Artificial leaves at scaleForecast · ~2078requires
- Mercury solar foundryForecast · ~2085requires
- Electronics that never need chargingForecast · ~2087requires
- Dyson-swarm seed factoriesForecast · ~2096requires
- Sun-powered computing ringForecast · ~2096requires
Sources & evidence
Dataset updated 2026-10-18. This individual record has not been separately re-reviewed.