Solestial, a manufacturer of lightweight, radiation-hardened silicon PV products for space, has received $1.2 million to fund the development of a novel solar array wing concept for small satellites with potential for multiple orbit use.
The project involves the building and testing of a complete solar wing, the further development of Solestial’s silicon cell and module technology for fast integration and assembly, and the development of novel module electrical interconnectors, according to the company.
“The project will culminate in a two-week production sprint to manufacture 1 kilowatt of solar cells and modules, followed by a two-week solar array assembly and integration run with the goal of demonstrating that a complete solar array wing can be manufactured in only one month’s time,” said Solestial in a statement.
The funding is provided by Spacewerx, a technology accelerator of the U.S. Space Force, and a unique division within the U.S. Department of the Air Force (DAF) Afwerx innovation initiative.
Solestial offers ultrathin and lightweight solar panels and arrays, either rigid or flexible, along with its second-generation 20%-efficient silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cells, fabricated using proprietary defect engineering. It claims its PV technology can self-cure radiation damage, annealing under sunlight across a wide range of operating temperatures.
The company sees its corporate and technical goals as aligned with the project, and those of its funding partners. “Long manufacturing lead times have plagued the incumbent solar technology for space. Through our use of affordable, accessible silicon and automated manufacturing of solar cells and solar power modules, Solestial is uniquely positioned to solve this critical bottleneck and support mission readiness,” Margo de Naray, Solestial CEO, said in a statement.
Solestial has a 2,787 m2 dedicated solar cell and module manufacturing facility in Tempe, Arizona, which it has been automating and expanding since 2023 to lower costs and deliver shorter lead times.
To finance the scaling of manufacturing, the company recently raised a $17 million Series A round that it said will be used to achieve silicon PV capacity of 1 megawatt per year.
The new capital was provided by a consortium of institutional and corporate investors, including the Mitsubishi Electric Corporation-backed ME Innovation Fund, which is managed by Global Brain Corporation, and Airbus Ventures, the Airbus corporate venture fund, along with specialized industrial and early-stage venture capital investors.
Founded in 2013, Solestial has signed letters of intent with commercial customers, ranging from startups to major defense primary contractors and it has been awarded more than $7 million in U.S. Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contracts from a variety of U.S. space, science, and air force research organizations.
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