THORNTON, Colo., June 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ascent Solar Technologies (“Ascent” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: ASTI), the leading U.S. innovator in the design and manufacturing of featherweight, flexible thin-film photovoltaic (PV) solutions, today announced the results of its preliminary Atomic Oxygen (AO) exposure testing for its space grade thin-film PV products. Testing has shown significant resilience to Atomic Oxygen in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO).
AO is a highly reactive and energetic particle that is the most predominant in LEO. Interaction with AO causes damage to many materials in the form of shrinking, cracking, erosion and oxidation. Specialty coatings and chemical treatments are often the most effective approach to enhancing the resilience of space faring polymers, metal surfaces and composites.
In LEO, AO often degrades solar arrays by eroding the polymers used in blanket construction, which hampers their flexibility and exposes their electrical components to damage, and oxidizing metallic interconnects. AO can directly interact with compounds that cover the solar cells, causing oxidation that reduces their transmission of light to the photoactive portion of the cell, ultimately yielding less power over time.
Although silicon and gallium arsenide (GaAs) solar technologies are widely used in LEO, their long-term performance is often significantly encumbered by the highly reactive AO environment. Exposed cover glass adhesives, polymer encapsulants, interconnect coatings, and other protective materials are susceptible to erosion and degradation over time of a few percent to more than 10% over several years in LEO. This erosion contributes to power loss and reduced array lifespan. AO mitigation is a critical design consideration for ensuring reliable long-term operation.
Ascent has completed several rounds of AO exposure testing, with highly favorable results for space-grade products that include 1 mil FEP film as the primary barrier and encapsulant. With exposure rates equivalent to that of six months on orbit at the altitude of the International Space Station (400km), results indicate zero loss of power. Ascent is moving forward with additional advanced AO exposure testing, simulating longer mission durations in this AO-rich environment.
“These positive results represent yet another critical value proposition of our PV technology, enabling spacecraft operators to endure the punishing conditions of space,” said Paul Warley, CEO of Ascent Solar Technologies. “With best-in-class lightweight panels, a highly flexible and rollable form factor, as well as resilience to the stresses of launch, our PV continues to prove itself to be the best choice for orbital power systems, especially as the commercial space market continues its rapid orbital infrastructure expansion in the coming years.”
About Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc.
Backed by 40 years of R&D, 15 years of manufacturing experience, numerous awards, and a comprehensive IP and patent portfolio, Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc. is a leading provider of innovative, high-performance, flexible thin-film solar panels, optimized for use in space, military and defense, and other applications where mass, performance, reliability, and resilience are paramount.
Ascent’s photovoltaic (PV) modules have been deployed on space missions, multiple airborne vehicles, agrivoltaic installations, in industrial/commercial construction as well as an extensive range of consumer goods, revolutionizing the use cases and environments for solar power. Ascent Solar’s research and development center and 5-MW nameplate production facility is in Thornton, Colorado.
To learn more, visit https: www.ascentsolar.com
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release that are not statements of historical or current fact constitute "forward-looking statements" including statements about the financing transaction, our business strategy, and the potential uses of the proceeds from the transaction. Such statements also include, but are not limited to, statements related to the intended use of proceeds from the offering and the potential exercise of the series warrants. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other unknown factors that could cause the company's actual operating results to be materially different from any historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. We have based these forward-looking statements on our current assumptions, expectations, and projections about future events. In addition to statements that explicitly describe these risks and uncertainties, readers are urged to consider statements that contain terms such as “will,” "believes," "belief," "expects," "expect," "intends," "intend," "anticipate," "anticipates," "plans," "plan," to be uncertain and forward-looking. No information in this press release should be construed as any indication whatsoever of our future revenues, stock price, or results of operations. The forward-looking statements contained herein are also subject generally to other risks and uncertainties that are described from time to time in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including those discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in our most recently filed reports on Forms 10-K and 10-Q.
Media Contact
Spencer Herrmann
FischTank PR
[email protected]