These conditions expose spacecraft to intense radiation and higher energy demands, making traditional rigid solar panels heavy, fragile, and difficult to deploy.<\/p>\n
Unlike conventional panels mounted on glass, Ascent’s technology uses copper indium gallium selenide materials that can be rolled, folded, or mounted without adding unnecessary weight, as launch costs can reach thousands of dollars per pound<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n That flexibility could unlock longer missions, larger scientific payloads, and more resilient spacecraft designs. Early testing shows the panels can maintain stable power output even under deep-space radiation, a key requirement for future lunar transit, orbit, and surface operations, according to the company’s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n Behind the breakthrough is more than a decade of manufacturing research. Ascent has refined production methods to boost efficiency to nearly 16%<\/a> in commercial runs with its Titan module while improving durability and heat management, per PV Magazine.\u00a0<\/p>\n The company uses molybdenum layers<\/a> to disperse heat, which not only protects the panels but could even be repurposed to generate extra electricity through thermoelectric systems.<\/p>\n Space technology like this is crucial for scientific research and the clean energy transition at home. NASA is already planning new space missions in 2030<\/a> to better understand changes happening on Earth, and experts say space-based technologies could become a major driver of renewable energy<\/a> in the years ahead.\u00a0<\/p>\n While space remains the primary focus, the technology has promising Earth-based applications as well. The same lightweight and flexible panels are being explored for high-altitude drones<\/a>, defense equipment, and agrivoltaics<\/a>, where solar canopies could generate power without blocking crops or heavy machinery \u2014 something the company’s CEO is pushing<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n “We are developing certain modules that will be standard,” Paul Warley, CEO of Ascent Solar, told PV Magazine<\/a>. “But we can still take those modules and design something for custom applications.”<\/p>\n TCD Picks \u00bb Upway Spotlight<\/p>\n \ud83d\udca1Upway makes it easy to find discounts of up to 60% on premium e-bike brands<\/p>\n Lower launch costs and growing interest in lunar exploration mean this tech could move from testing to real-world deployment within the next few years. Still, Warley noted<\/a> the space industry moves slowly.<\/p>\n “I’m still working with 18- to 30-month sales cycles,” he told the publication. “So, we’re just starting to see some of the results of our hard work.”<\/p>\n Smart upgrades that slash monthly energy bills<\/p>\n If you’re looking to harness the power of the sun back at home, check out TCD’s Solar Explorer<\/a> to understand your options and cost savings when switching to solar<\/a>. The simple, concierge-level service can help you save up to $10,000 on installation by comparing competitive bids from vetted local installers, including subscription options for those on a budget.<\/p>\n \u2022 EnergySage<\/a> can help you save up to $10,000 on installations by curating competitive bids from local installers If you want to reduce your utility bills further, you could pair your solar panels with an energy-efficient heat pump for home heating and cooling. It might sound like a complicated addition, but TCD’s Heat Pump Explorer<\/a> can help you get started.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the Palmetto Home<\/a> app can make energy-efficient upgrades even more affordable by unlocking $5,000 in rewards.<\/p>\n Get TCD’s free newsletters<\/a> for easy tips to save more, waste less, and make smarter choices \u2014 and earn up to $5,000 toward clean upgrades in TCD’s exclusive Rewards Club<\/a>.<\/p>\n \t\t\t
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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A new generation of solar technology could soon make space missions cheaper, more flexible, and more powerful. It…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":469890,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[48],"tags":[28,2973,26150,5038,218276,2976,79,5039,193,21003,7432,21004],"class_list":["post-469889","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-space","tag-business","tag-clean-energy","tag-clean-energy-showcase","tag-heat-pumps","tag-here-on-earth","tag-home","tag-science","tag-solar-panels","tag-space","tag-tech-showcase","tag-waste-less","tag-yahoo-tech"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/469889","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=469889"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/469889\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/469890"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=469889"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=469889"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=469889"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}