Passive daytime radiative cooling-inspired technologies for space thermal management: principles, limits and prospects

Passive daytime radiative cooling (PDRC) has emerged as a zero-energy thermal-management strategy on Earth, where its performance is governed by the atmospheric window, solar absorption, convective heat exchange, and terrestrial background radiation. Radiative thermal control, however, has long been used in spacecraft through technologies such as optical solar reflectors, second-surface mirrors, and white paints. Recent advances in terrestrial PDRC materials, particularly in achieving very low solar absorptance and high infrared emittance, provide new inspiration for further improving these established space thermal-control technologies. In this perspective, we compare the common physical basis and key environmental differences between terrestrial PDRC and PDRC-inspired space radiative cooling, discuss how PDRC-derived material and photonic strategies can be adapted for space applications, and analyze theoretical limits, ground-simulation constraints, on-orbit validation, and mission-specific applications. We argue that future PDRC-inspired technologies should evolve from material-level optimization toward integrated thermal-management strategies for spacecraft, satellites, lunar facilities, and deep-space exploration.