Emcore to Supply Solar Panels for NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission

Emcore, manufacturer of solar cells, has received a $10 million contract to provide solar panels for a spaceship that will be used to study the space weather and magnetosphere of the Earth.

The Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) program, to be launched by NASA in 2014, will have four spacecrafts that will be equipped with similar devices. Each spacecraft will be powered using Emcore’s solar panels and cells. The company will supply a total of 32 solar panels that will utilize ZTJ solar cells.

The solar cells, having a solar conversion efficacy of 30%, will be developed at Emcore’s New Mexico production plant. The company also manufactures solar cells for concentrated photovoltaics applications at the same facility.

Emcore’s Chief Operating Officer, Christopher Larocca stated that the company also supplied solar panels for NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission. He added that the new contract enables the company to provide solar panels for spacecraft power systems.