Ascent Solar Technologies, a North American company and leader in the development of lightweight and flexible photovoltaic solutions in CIGS thin film, has announced the start of a strategic collaboration with NASA, the North American Space Agency.
The partnership, formalized through a Notice of Collaborative Agreement, involves the MSFC (Marshall Space Flight Center) and has the technical support of the GRC (Glenn Research Center), both from the space agency.
The project aims to improve the capacity to receive energy radiated in space, using CIGS photovoltaic modules developed by Ascent. The proposal is part of an initiative to accelerate the development of commercial products capable of operating in extreme space environments, with direct application in future NASA missions.
According to the company, tests previously carried out with commercial modules have already demonstrated the potential of the technology by successfully capturing beams of transmitted energy, reinforcing its viability as an alternative for energy supply over long distances.
The expectation is that, as this technology matures over the next 12 months, it will be possible to provide energy solutions lighter, more compact and efficient for use in high-cost and complex space missions.
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Energy efficiency in lunar missions
The innovation proposed by the partnership has as its central objective the ability to generate energy from high-energy density light beams, multiplying the energy yield of traditional solar cells by up to 10 times in relation to terrestrial sunlight.
This would allow a significant reduction in the mass and volume of generation systems onboard spacecraft, freeing up space for payloads and scientific technologies.
This weight saving is especially strategic in lunar landing missions, such as those planned by the Artemis program and the CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative.
In these operations, mobility logistics on the lunar surface require robust but also lightweight energy systems, an equation that the technology of Ascent intends to resolve.
Practical applications could include, for example, maintaining activities in permanently shadowed regions of the Moon, which are areas of scientific interest due to their concentration of large amounts of ice. The energy radiated would not only allow equipment to operate in these difficult-to-access areas, but would also ensure survival during the long lunar night.
Cost reduction and technological advancement
With the current cost of landing robotic equipment on the Moon ranging from hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars per kilogram, any gain in energy efficiency and mass reduction represents direct savings and a positive impact on mission viability.
Ascent estimates that its technology could contribute to an order of magnitude decrease in the mass required for energy delivery to lunar and planetary destinations.
“Through our work together, we plan to bring to market an even more capable product line that will reduce mission costs and complexity while increasing photovoltaic efficiency, making our technology a critical component for future space missions,” said Paul Warley, CEO of Ascent Solar Technologies.
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