A solar panel for a spacecraft has a base with a face, and at least one
row of solar cells and at least one elongated reflector are mounted on
the face of the base. The reflectors and the rows are mounted generally
parallel to each other in an alternating fashion. The reflector has first
and second reflecting sides when the reflector is in a deployed position.
The reflector is mounted so that the first side of the reflector is
adjacent to a row of solar cells and reflects radiation incident on the
first side onto the adjacent row of solar cells when the reflector is in
a deployed position. Preferably, a plurality of rows and a plurality of
reflectors are mounted on the face of the base, with at least one of the
reflectors being disposed between two adjacent rows of solar cells.