Hanwha Solutions and Hanwha Systems announced Wednesday they will jointly develop high-efficiency solar cell and panel technology for satellites, considered a core component of space solar power.
Hanwha Solutions will lead key research and development over approximately two and a half years through 2028, focusing on high-efficiency cell design, performance enhancement and space-environment reliability verification. The company will pursue power solutions optimized for very low Earth orbit (VLEO) conditions, which simultaneously demand high power efficiency, structural lightness and radiation durability. It will also conduct in-space demonstrations using actual launch vehicles to validate the technology and establish early space applicability.
Hanwha Systems will invest 30 billion won ($19.9 million) in research and development in stages over the same period to develop tandem solar cells for satellites and lay the groundwork for commercialization.
The two companies plan to move toward commercialization by applying the tandem cells to actual satellites in connection with Hanwha Systems' planned constellation project involving 64 VLEO ultra-high-resolution synthetic aperture radar (VLEO UHR SAR) satellites of the 0.15-meter class. They also plan to develop the technology for use across a range of orbital environments, including low Earth orbit (LEO) and medium Earth orbit (MEO).
Park Seung-deok, chief executive of Hanwha Solutions' Q Cells division, said the collaboration with Hanwha Systems marks "an important starting point for expanding Q Cells' accumulated high-efficiency solar cell technology into the space industry." He added that the company will "enhance the performance and reliability of satellite power solutions and, over the long term, create new growth opportunities in the global space power market by converging the space and renewable energy industries."
klee@heraldcorp.com
