TEMPE, Ariz., December 3, 2024 – Congressman Greg Stanton visited Tempe space startup Solestial on Tuesday November 26. During his visit, Rep. Stanton toured the startup’s space solar power manufacturing facilities, met with Solestial leadership and representatives from Arizona State University (“ASU”), and signed a solar power module engineered for a mission to low Earth orbit.
In his remarks, Stan Herasimenka, Solestial CEO and Co-Founder, shared how the company’s innovative solar technology for space is creating jobs in Arizona. In the last two years, the firm has doubled its headcount to more than 40 employees and delivered commercial products to dozens of companies.
Kyle Siegal, Executive Director & Chief Patent Counsel at Skysong Innovations, spoke to the relationship between Solestial and ASU. The startup was initially founded at the University’s MacroTechnology Works Solar Power Laboratory. ASU Professor in the School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, Christiana Honsberg, detailed the benefits of photovoltaic electricity and cited the industry’s tremendous job growth.
Vince Hearn, Solestial Head of Government Business Development, noted the nearly $6 million dollars in funding from the U.S. Small Business Administration’s America’s Seed Fund Small Business Innovation Research (“SBIR”) program that the company has received to date from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (“NASA”), the Air Force Research Laboratory (“AFRL”), the United States Air Force (“USAF”), the United States Space Force (“USSF”), and the National Science Foundation (“NSF”) for research on ultrathin silicon solar cells optimized for use in space.
“Arizona is a leading state for innovation…everyone knows that we are the number one location in the United States of America for the semiconductor industry, and now they’re going to learn that we are a prime location in the country for solar technology—including Solestial’s amazing technology,” said Rep. Stanton. “Space is the future, and by leading the way in space technology, Arizonan innovation is securing the United States a powerful role in the last frontier.”
Rep. Stanton later added, “Solestial is a company that you may not have heard of, but you will be hearing from it in the years to come as a leading innovator in…space solar. It’s an ASU success story and a Tempe success story as well, and because of ASU and the quality of the engineers that they’re producing, this company is going places.”
About Solestial
Solestial exists to deliver abundant energy in space. The company’s breakthrough technology is a silicon solar cell engineered for space to self-cure radiation damage under sunlight at operating temperatures as low as 65°C. Solestial solar cells are packaged in an ultrathin, low-mass, flexible solar power module designed to withstand up to 10 years in a variety of destinations in space. The flexible solar power modules can be produced on automated machines resulting in costs 90% lower than traditional III-V multijunction solar products.
In 2025, Solestial will produce silicon photovoltaics for space at a run rate of 1 MW, a scale comparable to the annual capacity of all US and EU III-V solar manufacturers combined. From today’s satellite constellations and research projects to tomorrow’s lunar settlements and services in space, Solestial’s innovative technology represents a paradigm shift for space solar; an affordable, scalable solution to power sustained development. Solestial is a US company manufacturing solar cells and flexible solar power modules in Tempe, Arizona. Investors include space industry leaders including AE Ventures and Airbus Ventures. To learn more, visit the Solestial website or follow Solestial on social media.
Media Contact
Eileen Korte
ek@solestial.com