EMCORE Receives $12.0 Million Order from Space Systems/Loral for Solar Cells
EMCORE Corp. (Somerset, NJ) announced the receipt of an additional $12.0 million order from Space Systems/Loral (SS/L, Palo Alto, CA) for high-efficiency, triple-junction solar cells. The solar cells will be used by SS/L to provide power in space for advanced communications satellites.
EMCORE claims that their gallium arsenide triple-junction solar cells provide more power than current technology without increasing spacecraft weight by converting more of the spectral energy into electrical power. The company's solar cells achieve a beginning-of-life efficiency of 26 percent, while degradation after 15 years of orbit is only 8 percent, compared to 15 percent degradation that is typical of silicon-based solar cells. Additionally, EMCORE's solar cells accomplish end-of-life efficiencies of approximately 24 percent.
SS/L President John M. Klineberg commented, "We selected EMCORE's innovative high-efficiency solar cell products because their technology will allow us to design satellite systems that offer increased power over the life of the spacecraft. In satellite communications, solar cells are extremely significant, since higher solar-cell efficiency translates directly into enhanced performance."
“We are thrilled to supply SS/L with our solar cells as they prepare to launch satellite systems that will provide an array of services," said Reuben Richards, president and CEO of EMCORE. “Our product will give SS/L a leading-edge solution that enables them to manufacture satellites that offer increased power without adding weight."
