Ascent Solar Technologies, a pioneering U.S. firm specializing in featherweight, flexible, and robust CIGS thin-film photovoltaic (PV) solutions, has announced that its solar module products will be part of NASA’s upcoming Lightweight Integrated Solar Array and AnTenna (LISA-T) mission, set to launch this summer. This mission, spearheaded by NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate and the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, aims to showcase the deployment of large-area arrays on lightweight, cost-effective, and small spacecraft.
LISA-T constitutes the fourth mission in NASA’s Pathfinder Technology Demonstrator (PTD) series, which assesses novel capabilities of small spacecraft in orbit. Managed by NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, these demonstration missions facilitate the integration of new technologies into future science and exploration missions. The solar arrays of LISA-T (PTD-4) boast lower mass and stowed volume while producing three times more power compared to alternative PV solutions within the system envelope. Additionally, PTD-4’s deployable solar arrays are designed to scale larger than the mission’s CubeSat form factor, offering options capable of generating kilowatts of power for small spacecraft.
Paul Warley, CEO of Ascent Solar Technologies, expressed pride in the company’s selection for the upcoming space mission, attributing it to years of collaboration with NASA to optimize PV modules that align with LISA-T’s ambitious spacecraft mass and power requirements. He emphasized the significance of public-private partnerships in advancing innovative technologies, noting how programs like MISSE and PTD pave the way for more capable spacecraft for both government and commercial space missions. The modules developed for LISA-T have also influenced the design of Ascent’s Titan line of space products, enabling further enhancement of power generation capabilities in the space environment.
Leading up to the spacecraft demonstration, Ascent’s PV products underwent evaluations on the International Space Station, with modules tested on NASA’s MISSE-X experiment affirming the resilience of the company’s CIGS material in space conditions. Furthermore, additional Ascent modules featuring lower-cost and lighter-weight laminates are undergoing assessment on the upcoming MISSE payload slated to fly on SpaceX’s 30th Commercial Resupply Mission to the space station in March.
