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Ascent Solar Technologies Collaborates With NASA To Advance Development Of Thin-Film PV Power Beaming Capabilities
By Meg Flippin Benzinga DETROIT, MICHIGAN - July 3, 2025 (NEWMEDIAWIRE) - Ascent Solar Technologies (NASDAQ: ASTI), the maker of featherweight, flexible and
About this update from Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc
[{"type":"text","content":"By Meg Flippin Benzinga\nDETROIT, MICHIGAN - July 3, 2025 (NEWMEDIAWIRE) - Ascent Solar Technologies (NASDAQ: ASTI), the maker of featherweight, flexible and durable CIGS thin-film photovoltaic (PV) solutions, is one step closer to powering the spacecraft of tomorrow, announcing its collaboration with NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has commenced. \n The two, with support from NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC), are developing spacecraft that can receive beamed power using Ascent Solar's CIGS PV modules. It's part of NASA's mission to develop the ability to do more in space at a fraction of the cost. Ascent promises to deliver that with its CIGS PV modules. \nWith Ascent Solar's technology, energy is beamed from satellites or orbital vehicles to these thin, flexible PV panels affixed to the spacecraft via microwave or laser beam. Once captured in the CIGS PV modules the spacecraft will be able to go further, for longer periods of time. Plus the spacecraft will be lighter and cheaper to make because it has less parts and needs less equipment to power it. \nNASA is no stranger to beamed power. In 2023 it launched its Psyche Mission, which is a journey to a unique metal-rich asteroid orbiting the Sun between Mars and Jupiter using beamed power. Since then, it has demonstrated deep space laser communications across 19 million miles of space, validating the efficacy of tight-beaming technologies over vast distances. Bench-testing conducted by NASA MSFC earlier this year demonstrated receiving beamed power using Ascent's commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) products. This was prior to the company receiving a Collaborative Agreement Notice (CAN) from NASA.\nAll In On Beamed Power \nAs part of the CAN, Ascent and NASA are working together to develop products that enable mission architectures to include beamed power. Ascent is providing design and prototyping services while NASA is providing technical expertise and test services. The collaboration is to last 12 months, and the end result is the launch of commercial products that Ascent says will lower the cost, complexity and risk of NASA missions.\n\"This collaboration with NASA further bolsters our longstanding belief that the unique capabilities of thin-film solar technology will play an integral role in overcoming the challenges of reliably converting solar energy and also receive ...