TAMPA, Fla. \u2014 New Mexico-based mPower Technology has started automated, high-volume production of its space-grade solar modules in New York, the company announced Nov. 11 as it ramps up to meet demand from satellite constellations.<\/p>\n
\u201cTypically, it\u2019s a very manual process,\u201d mPower CEO Kevin Hell said in an interview, \u201cvery high-touch labor, very expensive \u2014 and it hasn\u2019t been automated to date.\u201d<\/p>\n
The company\u2019s modules are manufactured using commercial off-the-shelf silicon-based processes and equipment, which Hell said makes them more customizable and less expensive to produce than traditional solar hardware made with gallium arsenide semiconductor material.<\/p>\n
Contract manufacturer Universal Instruments has ramped up automated production to an annual capacity of 1 megawatt since initial validation runs began this summer at its Conklin, New York, facility. Hell said the company is set to double output with an additional production line by mid-2026.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re not aware of anything that\u2019s larger in terms of throughput capacity,\u201d Hell said, describing the facility\u2019s planned scale as roughly four times that of a typical gallium arsenide-based manufacturer.<\/p>\n
\u201cGallium arsenide has primarily powered geosynchronous satellites \u2014 limited, one-off missions,\u201d he added.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re now talking about large [low Earth orbit (LEO)] constellations \u2026 lunar missions, space-based power,\u201d all of which are demanding increasing amounts of power.<\/p>\n
The largest contract mPower has announced involves providing solar modules for more than 200 Lightspeed broadband satellites in LEO, which prime contractor MDA Space is building for Canada\u2019s Telesat. SpaceX is slated to begin serial Lightspeed launches in early 2027.<\/p>\n
That program represents more than 1.1 megawatts of solar power. The satellites are designed to operate for 10 years in orbit, roughly double the design life of other LEO broadband spacecraft flying closer to Earth.<\/p>\n
Other customers of mPower\u2019s interconnected photovoltaic DragonSCALES technology include Lynk Global, Blue Origin, Firefly Aerospace and Gravitics. However, Hell said only six satellites currently use its technology in orbit.<\/p>\n