Beaming the Watts Down: NASA × Ascent Solar’s Thin-Film Array Sets the Stage for Space-to-Earth Power Transmission
The space-based solar power (SBSP) concept was proposed in 1968 by Peter Glaser to place satellites in orbit and beam power to Earth. In 2023 Caltech’s Space Solar Power Demonstrator (SSPD-1) conducted three beaming tests in May, June, and July 2023 using the MAPLE flexible array to show ground reception of orbital power. In June 2025, Ascent Solar announced a 12-month Collaborative Agreement with NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and Glenn Research Center (GRC) to develop thin-film PV arrays for power beaming. Ascent’s copper-indium-gallium-selenide (CIGS) thin-film modules achieve about 15.7% production efficiency, with the Titan line targeting 17%+ efficiency