Featured in Building resilience – 04-2026

Prepare for launch

Human activities in space have been solar powered for more than 70 years. Now, as the space industry accelerates, new opportunities are emerging for specialized solar manufacturers, writes Jake Veloza of Eternal Sun Wavelabs. The extreme and unforgiving conditions of space demand a high level of performance and durability, and accurate testing methods will be needed to get these new solutions off the ground.
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pv magazine
US Naval Research Laboratory engineers place the first solar-powered satellite, Vanguard 1, atop the third stage of the launching vehicle in March 1958. | Image: Naval Research Laboratory, Wikimedia Commons

There is money in going to space. The global space economy will grow from $630 billion in 2023 to $1.8 trillion by 2035, according to an April 2024 report from McKinsey & Company. Satellite manufacturing revenues alone are expected to triple from $4 billion to $12 billion in that time, while satellite-enabled technologies, expanding space …

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