SolAero Technologies Corp. (SolAero), a leading provider of high efficiency solar cells, solar panels, and composite structural products for satellite and aerospace applications, populated Northrop Grumman Space Systems’ (NGSS’) UltraFlex© solar arrays with its patented ZTJ solar cell technology to power NASA’s Lucy Mission. Powered by SolAero’s high-efficiency, triple-junction ZTJ solar cells, the Lockheed Martin designed and manufactured Lucy spacecraft launched successfully on October 16th, 2021 aboard the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL. Lucy will be the first mission to study Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids. An odyssey of 12 years, 4-billion miles, and eight asteroids, Lucy will revolutionize our knowledge of planetary origins and the formation of the solar system. The “fossils” of the solar system could hold clues about what conditions were like when the planets formed, leading to an even greater understanding of our origins.
SolAero’s ZTJ solar cells that have been demonstrated to exhibit superior performance under demanding Low Intensity sunlight and Low Temperature (LILT) conditions characteristic of interplanetary missions like Lucy. UltraFlex® is an accordion fanfold flexible-blanket solar array comprising interconnected triangular shaped ultra-lightweight substrates. The Lucy Mission has a UltraFlex® solar array; at a mere 4 inches thick when stowed, but nearly 24 feet in diameter when expanded. SolAero has powered over 20 missions using the UltraFlex® solar array technology, including several Cygnus CRS (Cargo Resupply Missions to the International Space Station) spacecraft and the Mars InSight Lander, the largest solar array ever deployed on the surface of Mars.
“We were delighted to see the culmination of so much hard work by so many partners embodied in today’s launch of Lucy,” said Brad Clevenger, President and CEO of SolAero Technologies. “We offer our sincere congratulations to the entire Lucy team, in particular our long-time partners at NASA, Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin.”
About SolAero Technologies Corp.
SolAero Technologies is a leading provider of satellite solar power solutions and precision aerospace structures to the global space markets, encompassing a wide array of applications including civil space exploration, science and earth observation, defense intelligence and communication, and commercial telecommunications industries. The business was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. For more information about SolAero, visit https://solaerotech.com/
About Northrop Grumman Space Systems
Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems designs, builds and delivers space, defense and aviation-related systems to customers around the world. Our main products include launch vehicles and related propulsion systems; missile products, subsystems and defense electronics; precision weapons, armament systems and ammunition; satellites and associated space components and services; and advanced aerospace structures. For more information about NGIS, visit www.northropgrumman.com
Contact:
Mr. Timothy Billstrand
Proposal and Marketing Manager
(505) 332-5199
Timothy_Billstrand@SolAeroTech.com