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Investing.com -- Ascent Solar Technologies Inc (NASDAQ:ASTI) stock surged 18% after the company announced its collaboration with NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has officially begun.
The partnership, supported by NASA Glenn Research Center, focuses on developing spacecraft that can receive beamed power using Ascent’s CIGS thin-film photovoltaic modules. This technology allows energy to be beamed from satellites or orbital vehicles to spacecraft via microwave or laser beam, potentially enabling spacecraft to travel further with less equipment and lower costs.
The collaboration follows bench-testing conducted earlier this year by NASA MSFC, which demonstrated receiving beamed power using Ascent’s commercial-off-the-shelf products. Under the Collaborative Agreement Notice (CAN), Ascent will provide design and prototyping services while NASA contributes technical expertise and testing over a 12-month period.
"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 beamed power in a breadth of harsh space environments," said Paul Warley, CEO of Ascent Solar Technologies.
The partnership aims to evaluate Ascent’s CIGS PV modules’ ability to generate power while illuminated by energy-dense light beams, potentially converting more usable power from the equivalent of tens of Earths’ Sun. This capability could significantly reduce spacecraft mass and volume requirements.
Ascent estimates its technology could save tens of millions of dollars per lander mission by reducing the downmass required for power generation subsystems. The solar power space market is projected to reach multi-billion dollar status by 2030, driven by increasing demand for green energy and sustainability.
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