Space
Solar Solutions

The World’s Leading Space Solar Power

Rocket Lab creates world-class innovative solutions that are powering the space industry.

4MW solar cells
manufactured
to date
1100+ satellites in
orbit powered by
Rocket Lab solar products
500+ satellites scheduled to
launch in the next few years
with Rocket Lab hardware

High-Efficiency, Flight-Proven Space Solar Power

Rocket Lab’s vertically integrated space solar solutions combine high efficiency and radiation hardened solar cells with modular and customizable solar panel arrays to power spacecraft on any mission. Backed by 27 years of flight heritage, Rocket Lab is a trusted partner in satellite power systems, delivering reliable energy from low Earth orbit to deep space.

Space Solar Cells / Cell Interconnected Components (CICs)

Our solar cells and CICs are the highest efficiency commercially available products in the industry.

  • Highest efficiency space solar cells and CICs – up to 34%
  • Cell areas of up to 81.5-cm2 (custom sizes can be provided) › Space-qualified cell technologies: ZTJ, ZTJ+, ZTJ-Ω, Z4J, Z4J+ and IMM
  • Upcoming higher efficiency cell technologies: Next-Gen Z+ & IMM-β
  • More than 4MW of power delivered for flight missions
More info
solar cells hero

Space Solar Panels

We offer rigid and flexible solar panels that are fully tested and wired for integration into solar array assemblies.

  • Rigid Space PVA Solar Panels
  • Solar Panel Substrates
  • Solar Power Modules (SPM)
  • Flexible PVA Panels
More info
solar space panels

Space 2.0 Solutions

We offer SmallSat and CubeSat solutions for Space 2.0 missions.

CubeSats & SmallSats
We provide SmallSat & CubeSat developers access to a range of high performance solar panel sizes and power options that are integrated with our highest efficiency, commercially available multi-junction space solar cells. SolAero offers light-weight, high stiffness and zero CTE graphite laminate panels for CubeSats, while offering affordable “standard” AI Honeycomb CFRP facesheet sandwich panel substrates for SmallSats.

Constellations
We have a dedicated Space 2.0 panel substrate and automated PVA line for high-throughput and low-cost production for satellite constellations. This optimized PVA line provides a more robust process that includes composite layup, assembly and machining and PVA laydown.

space 2 solutions

Capabilities

Solar Cell
Manufacturing

Our manufacturing facility, located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is a world-class facility that includes cleanroom spaces for cell (Class 1k), CIC (Class 1k), and panel manufacturing (Class 10k-100k). SolAero’s cell production line is capitalized to produce >1 MWe per year.

Automated
Assembly

Our automated manufacturing and assembly capabilities enable achieving higher production volumes at lower cost. Because SPM and PVA panel manufacturing has historically been performed manually, SolAero has taken the unprecedented step of introducing several automated approaches.

Composite
Products

Our 24,000-ft 2 (~2,200-m2) composite manufacturing facility produces satellite panel structures and CFRP facesheet, Al-Honeycomb panel substrates.

Panel
Manufacturing

Our 24,000-ft2 (~2,200-m2) PVA panel manufacturing facilities are dedicated to service all traditional space and constellations for LEO, MEO, GEO and Interplanetary missions.

Acceptance
Testing

We maintain a variety of environmental acceptance test facilities, including large TVAC and APTC cycling chambers plus several smaller APTC chambers for accelerated life-cycle coupon testing. These test chambers enable us to provide timely and cost-effective test solutions.

R&D/Product
Development

We have a large staff of highly experienced engineers and scientists who support all of our product development activities. This team consists of subject matter experts in device physics and analytics, semiconductor materials development, semiconductor fabrication, and device characterization.