Ascent Solar Technologies' PV Blankets to Power NOVI AI Pathfinder Spacecraft Scheduled for Launch This Spring

NOVI AI Pathfinder Spacecraft

This toaster-sized hyperspectral imaging spacecraft will generate 150W, an amount of power typically seen on larger spacecraft at higher costs

THORNTON, Colo., Feb. 25, 2026 (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 that its previously delivered solar blankets have been successfully integrated into NOVI’s Pathfinder spacecraft, scheduled to fly on a SpaceX Falcon 9 Transporter launch no earlier than March 29th.

NOVI's spring mission will demonstrate GENIE™ (Geospatial Ecosystem for Near Real-Time Information at the Edge), the company's flagship open-access, multi-sensor, edge-compute platform designed to provide low-cost, low-latency Earth observation data and real-time geospatial intelligence.

Integration of Ascent’s flexible CIGS array allows for a tightly rolled configuration that minimizes the stowed volume. Pathfinder, the toaster-sized hyperspectral imaging spacecraft (pictured below) will generate 150W, an amount of power typically seen on larger spacecraft at higher costs. NOVI is poised to recognize compounded savings across its planned constellation by partnership with Ascent.

“Our partnership with NOVI has evolved quickly over the last year. In large part due to our rapid manufacturing capabilities in a domestic facility, enabling Ascent to quickly supply product to customers looking for immediate solutions,” said Paul Warley, CEO of Ascent Solar Technologies. “Through this partnership with NOVI, we’re achieving lower costs on faster timelines, driving major reductions in mass and volume compared to traditional silicon solar arrays. Our solutions are also more durable and sustainable, which reduces space debris risks while improving efficiency for spacecraft operators.”

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, optimized for use in space, military and defense, and other applications where mass, performance, reliability, and resilience are paramount.

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.

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