Solar Energy
SolAero Technologies’ Ingenuity on Mars
SolAero Technologies, a leading provider of high efficiency solar cells composite structural products for satellite and aerospace applications, congratulates the team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Labs (JPL) on the successful maiden flight of the Mars Helicopter, Ingenuity. SolAero is proud to have supplied the solar panel that has enabled the first powered, controlled flight on another planet.
The solar panel for Ingenuity was manufactured in SolAero’s state-of-the-art production facility in Albuquerque, NM. The panel is populated with SolAero’s industry-leading, 33.0% efficient IMM (Inverted Metamorphic Multi-junction) class of solar cells that generate in excess of 10% more power than other space solar cells in production today.
The IMM is also more than 40% lighter than typical space grade solar cells. The combination of higher efficiency and significantly lower mass was a critical factor that was deemed mission enabling for Ingenuity’s successful flight.
The success of Ingenuity further extends SolAero’s long history of powering satellites and spacecrafts for NASA and JPL, including the Mars 2020 Cruise Stage, the InSight Lander that is currently operating on the Mars surface, the DAWN asteroid mission, the Parker Solar Probe to the sun, the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) mission and many others.
“SolAero is extremely proud to be a part of this history-making flight and supporting it with the highest performance solar panels available,” said Brad Clevenger, CEO of SolAero Technologies. “SolAero’s industry leading technology and track record of performance continue to make it the supplier of choice for the most demanding satellite applications.”
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