mPower Technology is a solar cell and power company that licensed technology from Sandia National Laboratories to create their flexible, interconnected cells of highly efficient silicon that can be meshed into any shape. The company’s DragonSCALES™ photovoltaic arrays can be used for multiple applications, with space and aerospace being the first markets that mPower has entered.
“We were able to characterize and further understand the materials and designs used in our products with the help of the TRGR Projects, which are critical for our applications. This allowed us to gain further insights into our next generation of products and support the rapidly expanding needs of our customers in the space industry.”
Murat Okandan
CTO and Founder
mPower Technology Inc.
mPower’s current products are already in use on low-Earth orbit satellites, and through two TRGR Projects, they have been able to make improvements and refinements to their next-generation solar technology that will support two large satellite constellations being planned by customers. This second TRGR Project included making modifications and structural improvements to mPower solar cells. Scientist Josh Stein and his team at Sandia provided the expertise and equipment needed for thermomechanical modeling of solar array assemblies and measurement of advanced solar cell structures to support reliability, higher efficiency, and better performance.
As a result of the two TRGR Projects, mPower is in discussion with customers about ramping up production of its DragonSCALES PV arrays for low-Earth orbit satellite constellations that will be built over the next few years and will need replenishing in the future. mPower continues to work with customers including Honeybee Robotics Inc. on a lunar charging station for NASA, and Lynk Global Inc. on satellites. The company is also collaborating with a newer customer, Gravitics Inc., on a low-Earth orbit space station.