Primary application: LEO / MEO satellites
Powering the Next Generation of Satellites
Radiation resilience, higher end-of-life power and scalable solar arrays for increasingly power-intensive missions.
Explore Satellite Power
Additional application: HAPS
Ultra-Light Silicon for Extended Flight Endurance
Ultra-thin wafers down to 50 µm for lightweight, high-efficiency solar power.
Explore HAPSSpace / Why space · Why now
Higher-power satellites make EOL performance critical.
The next generation of LEO and MEO satellites demands more power. But radiation progressively reduces solar cell efficiency. What ultimately matters is how much power the solar array can deliver at the end of the mission.
Why nowThree converging trends
Satellite Power Demand Is Accelerating. Power Density Matters.
1–5 kW
Traditional LEO
15–20+ kW
Large GEO
15–20 kW
High-power LEO today
100–200 kW+
Emerging orbital data centers
Illustrative spacecraft electrical power classes; not a time-series forecast.
01
More satellites
Over 17,000 satellites are now active in orbit, with mega-constellations, broadband and direct-to-cell services driving continued growth and demand for reliable power.
More satellites. More demand for power.
02
More power per satellite
High-power LEO satellites are approaching 20 kW. Space-based AI computing is emerging, with proposed orbital data centers requiring 100–200 kW or more.
Higher power requirements are reshaping satellite design.
03
Larger Arrays. Greater Mass and Drag.
Increasing power requirements drive larger solar arrays, adding mass, complexity and drag. Radiation-resilient, high-efficiency cells can deliver more end-of-life power from smaller arrays.
More end-of-life power. Less mass and drag.
This NASA visualization shows the giant rings of charged particles trapped by Earth's magnetic field. The inner zone (yellow) contains high-energy protons that present a severe radiation hazard for orbiting satellites and electronics.
Image credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
The Space Power Challenge
Radiation Degradation Threatens End-of-Life Power.
As satellite power requirements grow, maintaining power throughout the mission becomes increasingly critical. Radiation-induced degradation reduces solar cell output, creating a trade-off between initial array size and the power available at end of life.
- 01Radiation Exposure
Energetic particle radiation degrades solar cell performance over time.
Conventional silicon solar cells can lose approximately 15–20% of their power over a five-year LEO mission.*
- 02Reduced End-of-Life Power
Radiation-induced degradation reduces the electrical power available to operate the satellite at end of life.
- 03The Design Trade-Off
Designers must compensate for degradation by oversizing the initial solar array or accepting less power at end of life.
* Illustrative, mission-dependent estimate. Actual degradation depends on orbit, shielding, cell architecture and operating conditions.
More Power for Longer.
Greater Design Flexibility.
Improved end-of-life solar cell efficiency gives satellite designers greater flexibility: smaller, lighter solar arrays for the same mission requirements, or more power available over a longer mission with the same array size.
For example, an approximately 1 percentage point absolute efficiency improvement could provide sufficient additional power margin to extend a satellite's operational life from 5 to more than 7 years, depending on mission conditions and spacecraft design.
This estimate is an extrapolation from Quokka 3 modelling, not a demonstrated lifetime extension in orbit.
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