By Meg Flippin Benzinga
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - May 1, 2025 (NEWMEDIAWIRE) - Ascent Solar Technologies (NASDAQ: ASTI), the maker of featherweight, flexible and durable CIGS thin-film photovoltaic (PV) solutions that have the potential to power everything from spacecraft to satellites in space, was busy at the 40th annual Space Symposium held earlier in April. The company met with space industry executives, potential customers and partners and showed off its cutting-edge 5MW production facility at its nearby headquarters via guided tours.
It's not surprising that Ascent was flexing its prowess at the premier conference for the space industry. Its PV cells weigh little, are flexible and bendable and perform well in the dark, which is ideal for space settings. It's the reason it already counts NASA, DARPA and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory as partners and recently announced the delivery of spaceflight-ready PV blankets to a leading European space systems provider, enabling what the company says is an innovative new capability for making spacecraft lighter and more powerful.
The company’s PV technology enables energy beamed from satellites or orbital vehicles to be captured by these thin, flexible PV panels that can be affixed to spacecraft or other vehicles via microwave or laser beam. Once captured in the CIGS PV modules, the spacecraft and orbital vehicles will be able to go further, for longer periods of time. Those benefits are also why Ascent received an additional order from one of the multiple third parties evaluating technologies for receiving beamed power. Ascent had designed, prototyped and delivered an initial beamed-power optimized module to multiple third parties for testing and evaluation in under a month. This customer requested revisions and Ascent is now fine-tuning module design modifications.
“As interest grows for power beaming and space-based solar power, our thin-film PV technology will stand out as a clear solution for maximizing efficiency while mitigating the risks around solar solutions in space,” said Paul Warley, CEO of Ascent. “As we continue to fine-tune our technology to meet each of our customers’ unique needs, we expect to experience increased demand and revenue opportunities.”
Ascent’s Technology On Display
The Space Symposium unites global space professionals from commercial, civil and defense markets to connect and explore critical space issues. Julian Miller, director of space solutions at Ascent Solar, spent his time during in-person meetings at the symposium discussing hardware developer kit partnership opportunities, providing insight for trade studies for prospective missions and spacecraft. He also explained how Ascent’s technology can be used for drop-in replacements and is backward compatible with existing capabilities.
Ascent’s hardware developer kit program is aimed at making it easier for space mission managers and spacecraft engineers to unlock both savings and increased performance with Plug & Fly™ solar array hardware assemblies. Miller also highlighted the performance and benefits of Ascent’s thin-film PV in orbital and planetary surface environments.
During tours of the company’s 5MW manufacturing facility – located at Ascent’s headquarters – potential customers and partners got a peek into a manufacturing facility that will be able to ship orders in excess of 100kW this summer. Ascent says its spaceflight-proven, high-TRL solar array products allow for rapid customization and short delivery timelines, thanks to its 5MW production facility and refined manufacturing processes. The focus didn’t end there. Ascent also spent time during the symposium and guided tours discussing how its CIGS PV products can be leveraged for new applications in space, such as orbital manufacturing.
“Our team is actively working to establish standard combined offerings to make a greater depth of test data available for prospective space industry buyers evaluating how to best interface and integrate lighter-weight, lower-mass solar arrays,” said Miller. “As we continue to hold discussions with industry-leading providers of solar array structures and deployable mechanisms that enable satellites and other spacecraft to utilize our efficient thin-film PV products, we welcomed new entities to connect with us and take a tour of our facilities.”
Tariffs A Boon To Business
Beyond making connections at the symposium that could translate into new customers, Ascent reports it is benefiting from the global tariffs instituted by the Trump Administration. The company says the tariffs have resulted in an influx of prospective contract manufacturing and thin-film PV product design/development opportunities for investing in U.S. domestic manufacturing capability, and it is currently exploring ways to support the surge of new interest in Ascent’s manufacturing prowess.
“Fabless production arrangements under consideration could enable providers to more quickly and capitally efficiently serve U.S. market demand with breakthrough new power generation products via the utilization of ASTI’s vertically integrated facility and specialized machinery,” reports the company.
Space Market Taking Off
It's not surprising that Ascent is focused on powering the space industry of tomorrow. The solar space market is projected to reach $6.8 billion by 2040, growing from an estimated $4.7 billion in 2030. Demand for sustainable energy and technological advancements are driving the growth.
The company is engaged with multiple strategic partners in the space market and says it expects to secure long-term agreements that will bring consistent annual revenue from a diverse set of customers in the space market.
“Our latest solar efficiency milestones are opening new revenue streams driven by the increasing demand to power space vehicles and beam solar energy,” says Warley. “Ascent products – all produced domestically in our facility in Thornton, CO – are uniquely poised to reliably meet that demand in the harsh environment of space, reducing costs and increasing operational efficiency for customers in the public, private and government sectors.”
Featured image by SpaceX on Unsplash.
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