Solestial develops and manufactures radiation-hardened silicon solar cells and ultrathin flexible solar power modules for satellites and other space applications.
Solestial, Inc. develops, manufactures, and supplies radiation-hardened silicon photovoltaics for space. The core product is a space-stable silicon solar cell that self-cures radiation damage under sunlight at operating temperatures as low as 65 °C - a materially different thermal and radiation constraint than the III-V multijunction cells that have traditionally dominated spacecraft power budgets. Building on that cell technology, the company produces ultrathin, flexible solar power modules with very low areal mass, rated to withstand up to 10 years in a range of space destinations.
The manufacturing side is treated as a first-class engineering problem rather than an afterthought. Modules are designed for automated mass production on conventional machines, targeting costs significantly below traditional III-V multijunction products. The company operates a 30,000 sq ft manufacturing facility in Tempe, Arizona, and works across silicon photovoltaics, semiconductor and materials processing, and flexible, ultrathin module assembly. For robotics and automation engineers, the relevant surfaces are in-line process automation, handling of fragile ultrathin substrates, and production-line control rather than flight robotics.
Founded in 2013 by Stan Herasimenka and Mikhail Reginevich - who met at Arizona State University in 2010 - the company has raised more than $29M to date. Its stated focus is scaling supply of space solar power, targeting satellite power and other space platforms where radiation tolerance, mass, lifetime, and cost per watt trade off against each other.
