Most panels shipped to space can't support themselves: Google "solar array deploy" and you'll see videos from lots of space missions where there are complex dep

Most panels shipped to space can't support themselves: Google "solar array deploy" and you'll see videos from lots of space missions where there are complex deployment jigs to hold the panels from collapsing under their weight during testing. This isn't the entire story though - launch loads still meaningful contribute some to the weight. A certain amount of mechanical stiffness will still be required even for in-space builds for stability and controllability against slew, solar wind, drag, etc, putting a lower bound on mass. I'd like to see technologies that can avoid coverglass requirements (for atomic oxygen, solar wind), but that's a fundamental physics problem that looks tough to me.