Extraterrestrial Power has developed a mass-manufacturable solar cell it estimates to be ten times more affordable than current space-grade solar cells.
Solar cells have powered satellites for decades, but they don’t come cheap. They’re reinforced through an expensive, low-volume manufacturing process to withstand the extreme radiation, temperature fluctuations, and vacuum environments of orbit. Sydney-based Extraterrestrial Power aims to reinvent that process – applying space-grade rigour to the more affordable method of mass-production used to make terrestrial solar cells.
Terrestrial solar cell production methods rely on the silicon cells being relatively thin, and it’s previously proven impossible to design a thin cell that can survive space conditions. However, Extraterrestrial Power has succeeded in thinning out space solar cells to a level where they can be mass-produced alongside terrestrial ones, while maintaining their space-grade efficiency and stability.
Having tested its solar cell technology with spaceflights on Australian and international missions, Extraterrestrial Power is gearing up to manufacture solar cells for customers worldwide – helping them find a new way to improve the sustainability and affordability of their missions in an era of rapid satellite market growth.
Pictured above: Solar cells up close. Image credit: Extraterrestrial Power.
For humanity to move forward and become truly spacefaring, it needs an abundance of power, and there is an abundance of sunshine in space. Our thin, radiation tolerant and low-cost solar cells enable satellites being manufactured in high volumes necessary for Low Earth Orbit constellations.
~ Peter Toth, CEO and co-founder of Extraterrestrial Power.
Technology features
- Mass-manufacturable thin silicon solar cells ten times cheaper than traditional space-grade cells.
- Radiation tolerance with integration of self-healing for enhanced durability.
- Adaptation of existing commercial terrestrial solar cell production methods for manufacturing.
- Demonstrated cost-effective processes for batch fabrication and metallisation.
Pictured above: CEO and co-founder Peter Toth (right) with colleagues at Extraterrestrial Power. Image credit: Extraterrestrial Power
Project highlights
- Agency Moon to Mars grant awarded to scale up manufacturing and testing.
- Flight heritage attained with deployment and testing in Low Earth Orbit – including on board satellites from fellow Australian company Skykraft.
- Global market positioning with customers seeking scalable solar solutions for satellite constellations.
Pictured above: Solar cells entering orbit with Skykraft and SpaceX. Image credit: SpaceX
Industry showcase
Australian space innovations making an impact.