Emcore, a company that has successfully supplied primary power to more than 100 satellites since 2001, announced the signing of their latest contract on Wednesday.
The deal was made with Alliant TechSystems Inc. (AKT) to produce solar panels for the new AMOS-6 telecommunication satellite.
The anticipated launch is scheduled for year 2015, and the machine will be equipped with Emcore’s ZTJ triple-junction solar cells, manufactured in Albuquerque. AMOS-6, manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries, will provide broadband services from Europe to Africa.
Emcore (NASDAQ: EMKR) has already designed a special line of solar panels, resistible to radiation and suitable for space conditions.
For Brad Clevenger, general manager of Emcore’s photovoltaic division, this award is very important. The two companies that has signed the contract have long-standing business relationships, and this makes the importance of the contract even higher.
Recently, Emcore was awarded another contract to produce panels for Orbital Sciences Corporation’s and NASA’s Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite-2.
The point of these launches, from an environmental standpoint, is that they prove the technology used in space is also valid for Earth deployments. Indeed, the solar cells launched along with these satellites are still very expensive, they clearly show a path to where solar power will be going in the future and what kinds of cells we’ll be using to provide juice to our homes in 20 to 30 years.
Via: BusinessWeekly
