Solestial, a U.S.-based manufacturer of solar PV technology for space applications, announced it is supplying its radiation-hardened ultra-thin silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar modules to Bulgarian satellite bus manufacturer Endurosat in 2025.
The two are not disclosing the initial order size, a spokesperson told pv magazine. But they did say in a statement that the agreement includes an additional option of 7 kW of capacity for future power needs.
The Solestial modules are to provide primary power for Endurosat’s Frame small satellite series, an evolved secondary payload adapter (ESPA) class satellite that is scheduled to fly in the first half of 2026.
Both companies are using manufacturing processes that reportedly enable shorter lead times. Endurosat says it will be producing 60 ESPA-class satellites per month, starting in the second quarter of 2026. These are developed for a variety of mission types, including Earth observation, communications, and defense applications.
Endurosat has international operations in Denver, Toulouse and Berlin. Founded in 2015, it recently raised €43 million ($49.71 million) in venture capital to finance production expansion.
Similarly, Solestial recently raised $17 million in venture capital to build up its 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. It was founded in 2013.
This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: editors@pv-magazine.com.
By submitting this form you agree to pv magazine using your data for the purposes of publishing your comment.
Your personal data will only be disclosed or otherwise transmitted to third parties for the purposes of spam filtering or if this is necessary for technical maintenance of the website. Any other transfer to third parties will not take place unless this is justified on the basis of applicable data protection regulations or if pv magazine is legally obliged to do so.
You may revoke this consent at any time with effect for the future, in which case your personal data will be deleted immediately. Otherwise, your data will be deleted if pv magazine has processed your request or the purpose of data storage is fulfilled.
Further information on data privacy can be found in our Data Protection Policy.