Above: Space Development Corporation has been awarded a significant contract from the United States Air Force (USAF) for on-orbit manufacturing of thin-tilm solar photovoltaics in partnership with Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASTI), a leading, U.S. innovator in the design and manufacture of featherweight, flexible and durable CIGS (Copper Indium Gallium Selenide), thin-film, photovoltaic (PV) solutions.
The Small Business Innovation Research Program Phase I Award from the USAF is to develop a solar heated crucible for the manufacturing of lightweight, thin-film solar photovoltaics (PV) on-orbit. This technology will enable the development of mass-efficient, PV cells that meet the demand of USAF and USSF systems.
The USAF has a vital and urgent need to deploy lightweight, robust, and affordable solar PV across the globe, as well as in space, to meet operational power requirements for Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles, forward operating bases and space-based power beaming.
Earlier this year, Above: Space Development Corporation received a $1.7 million Phase II SBIR Award to develop an efficient, lightweight structure to support solar panels, large power, and communications antenna arrays, as well as other space infrastructure functions.
"We're pleased to be partnering with Ascent to develop high efficiency, lightweight solar cells that can be manufactured in space. This is the second SBIR contract from the U.S. Air Force and we believe it will lead to a larger, Phase II award. We are advancing robust on-orbit systems for both defense and commercial applications." — Rhonda Stevenson, CEO of Above: Space Development Corporation
“Above’s ability to provide tunable, artificial gravity, coupled with our manufacturing equipment cost and operations, create an ideal scenario for producing thin-film solar in space. There is also an increased benefit when you remove some of the manufacturing constraints that are required on earth, enabling more common and widely available materials to be used in orbit. We look forward to demonstrating our product performance for the U.S. Air Force.” — Dr. Joseph Armstrong, CTO/CSO at Ascent Solar
