First automated high-volume space-solar production line launched in US
Solar technology company, mPower Technology, has launched a new high-volume solar module production line at Universal Instruments Corporation (UIC) in Conklin, New York.
The facility, already producing solar modules for Airbus under a recently announced contract with mPower, is touted as the first automated, high-volume solar module manufacturing facility for space in the world.
The operation has opened with an annual production capacity of 1 MW of DragonSCALES modules and is on track to expand to 2 MW per year by mid-2026. This volume aims to support fast-growing demand for resilient, lightweight, and scalable solar power solutions for LEO constellations, orbital transfer vehicles, space habitats, Lunar and Mars missions, and space-based power generation.
"This facility is a milestone not just for mPower, but for space. It marks an inflection point in the space solar industry where small-scale, manually-intensive fabrication has now evolved into large-scale industrial production," said mPower CEO Kevin Hell, in a press release. "We're already shipping flight hardware to customers, and as we ramp to multi-megawatt capacity over the next year, we'll be in position to support the largest and most ambitious space power programs out there."
The Airbus contract, which was made public last year, requires the production of modules for the Sparkwing solar arrays that Airbus is providing to the MDA AURORA supply chain for more than 200 spacecraft. This was a catalyst for the high-volume manufacturing line at UIC.
