Hanwha Solution and Hanwha Systems Sign Contract to Develop Satellite Solar Cells

*This content was translated by AI.

Hanwha Solution’s Q Cell division has signed a contract with Hanwha Systems for the joint development of high-efficiency solar cells and panels for satellites, marking the beginning of their concerted efforts to secure next-generation space-based solar power technology.

This collaboration represents Hanwha Solution’s first step in extending its high-efficiency solar cell technology and Yangsan capabilities—accumulated through its terrestrial solar market presence—to the space domain, complementing Hanwha Systems’ existing space expertise.

As the global space industry restructures around low-orbit satellite constellations and AI- and data-driven services, the importance of power solutions that determine satellite performance and mission longevity has become increasingly prominent. In response, Hanwha Solution plans to focus on developing integrated power solutions optimized for the space environment, leveraging its partnership with Hanwha Systems, a defense and space specialist.

Under this agreement, Hanwha Systems will gradually invest approximately 30 billion won in research and development over a period of about 30 months from 2026 to 2028 to develop tandem solar cells for satellites.

Hanwha Solution is particularly concentrating on developing next-generation technologies, including tandem-based high-efficiency solar cells, to realize power solutions that maximize performance in Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) environments. Since VLEO conditions demand simultaneous improvements in satellite power efficiency, structural lightweighting, and durability against radiation and atomic oxygen, the company aims to internalize its capabilities in integrated space power solutions—encompassing not only advanced solar cell technology but also packaging and panel applicability validation.

Hanwha Solution and Hanwha Systems plan to conduct technical verification through test satellites and secure initial space applicability by 2028. Starting in 2029, they intend to move toward full commercialization by integrating tandem cells into actual satellites as part of a project involving the deployment of 64 units of 0.15-meter-class Very Low Earth Orbit Ultra-High-Resolution Synthetic Aperture Radar (VLEO UHR SAR) satellites, which Hanwha Systems will manufacture in Yangsan.

A Hanwha Solution official, speaking to The Korea Economic Daily by phone, stated, “This collaboration with Hanwha Systems marks an important starting point for Q Cell to extend its high-efficiency solar cell technology into the space industry.”

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*This content was translated by AI.