An agreement has been reached between the Italian group CESI and one of the top space system manufacturers in the world, with options worth more than one hundred million euros spread over five years. As per the arrangement, CESI has to supply hundreds of thousands of solar cells for these five years, which is equivalent to equipping eight spacecraft every month.
The energy required to deliver the internet to every region of the earth, including the poles, will be supplied by these cells to US space satellites. This investment puts Italy and CESI at the forefront of the Space Economy and is strategically significant.
“The recent contract we secured demonstrates not just our proficiency with technology but also our capacity to work as a key collaborator on large-scale initiatives. As space technologies become more widely used for terrestrial uses, Earth’s quality of life will increase. This suggests a high level of knowledge for their future growth”. Domenico Villani, the Group CEO, states that CESI is prepared for this task.
The CESI’s laboratories in Milan have designed, manufactured, and tested solar cells using unique technologies. Currently, these cells provide power to more than 100 civilian satellites for customers in 25 different nations. Common terrestrial silicon solar cells would not be able to endure the extreme conditions of space, which is why CESI’s solar cells are built of materials like gallium arsenide and indium gallium phosphide.
The Italian multinational has created a number of ground-breaking technologies, such as the Integral Assembly and flexible cells that can adapt to the surfaces of satellites or spacecraft. By streamlining the cell construction procedure, this invention aims to do away with the requirement for safety glass, which will lower the satellites’ weight and launch expenses. The cells from CESI are suitable for satellites in both geostationary and low Earth orbits (LEO and GEO, respectively).
The space solar cells are crucial for powering satellites in orbit, offering efficiency, resilience, and stability. As demand expands beyond telecommunications, production is poised to rise to meet diverse space mission needs.
