Ascent Solar Technologies Signs Master Services Agreement to Provide NOVI Space with Rollable PV Array Blankets for Launch in 2026
THORNTON, Colo., May 27, 2025 (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 signing of a Master Services Agreement with NOVI Space, Inc. ("NOVI"), a Virginia-based space company that develops and operates AI-powered satellites with their TRL-9 edge computing technology.
Ascent has been contracted to provide rollable PV array blankets to NOVI to deliver real-time Earth Observation insights directly from space. NOVI plans to utilize the Company's lightweight, rollable solar technology in their AI edge processing constellation, scheduled for launch in early 2026. As part of the supply agreement, NOVI will provide Ascent with solar array operational performance data from orbit. This allows the Company to rapidly iterate and validate product enhancements for future missions and continue to build upon years of R&D and specialty engineering for products suitable to thrive in the rigors of space.
"Having a high technology readiness level isn't enough assurance for discerning space operators, a challenge that Ascent can uniquely address with our thin-film photovoltaic production solutions," said Paul Warley, CEO of Ascent Solar Technologies. "The ability to reliably deliver power on shorter installation timelines removes solar arrays as a barrier to completion for mission schedules, allowing constellations of spacecraft to be completed sooner. Ascent combines both high TRL and MRL with mission-enabling features, helping partners like NOVI to do more, faster and with greater confidence."
Ascent has the capabilities to deliver mission-optimized solar array solutions based on CIGS PV products already developed with spaceflight heritage. Its high-maturity CIGS PV products in manufactured in its 5MW production facility in Thornton, CO enables delivery of arrays in just 6-8 weeks, versus market competition that typically struggles to meet aggressive delivery schedules and strives for 9–12-month lead times. Ascent's recent pair of orders received for spaceflight hardware assemblies are on schedule to be completed and delivered by the Company this summer.
"We are glad to have found a partner in Ascent that is able to provide plug and play arrays for our current bus, enabling NOVI to launch its first set of commercial satellites in Q1 of 2026. We look forward to incorporating Ascent's new, rollable technology into our constellation," said Scott Steffan, CRO and Co-Founder of NOVI Space, Inc.
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 for use in environments where mass, performance, reliability, and resilience matter. 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.
About NOVI:
NOVI is a Space AI infrastructure and compute company. In addition to providing the space industry with TRL 9, flight-proven OBCs, NOVI is developing and deploying a constellation of multi-sensor edge-processing satellites for EO, coupled to a full-stack data, algorithm, and intelligence management platform named VISTAsat™. This is an innovative space AI marketplace that provides open-access to our growing satellite network, and enables commercial companies, governments and developers to harness real-time space-based sensors, processors and intelligence, further changing the cost paradigm to drive innovation, create new use-cases and redefine how industries leverage EO.
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 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.
Ascent Solar Media Contact
Spencer Herrmann
FischTank PR
[email protected]
