New Danish space project will strengthen Europe's access to solar cells for small satellites

With support from Innovation Fund Denmark, a new Danish-led space project will develop a much cheaper European solution for powering small satellites. With SATSOL, the partners will bring adapted solar cell technology from the ground into space, aiming for high performance, lower costs and greater European security of supply.

Small satellites are playing an increasingly important role in communication, Earth observation, research, security and climate monitoring. However, their power supply today often relies on expensive and delivery-critical GaAs solar cells. The new project SATSOL aims to develop a European, more scalable and significantly cheaper solution based on crystalline silicon solar cells, which will be further developed for use in space.

The project, which has just kicked off, brings together companies and research environments to develop the next generation of solar modules for small satellites. The goal is to create a solution that can significantly reduce the price while strengthening Danish and European capacity within critical space technology. Innovation Fund Denmark is investing 15 million DKK in the project.

Well-known solar cell technology adapted to space

SATSOL is based on a clear technological idea. The project takes commercially available silicon solar cells as its starting point and further develops them for use in the special conditions of space. This includes, among other things, adaptation to the light conditions in space, testing durability under vacuum, temperature fluctuations, radiation and UV exposure, as well as developing encapsulation and module designs that can be used in small satellites.

- With SATSOL we want to show that mature and scalable solar cell technologies from the ground can be used to create a competitive solution for space. This can make power supply for small satellites much more accessible and at the same time strengthen Danish and European technology development, says Simon Lennart Sahlin, METR ApS

The project is also working on an interlayer based on quantum dots, which could eventually improve the solar cells' utilization of light in space. Overall, it will advance the technology towards a validated prototype and form the basis for later commercialization and integration into microsatellite platforms.

Greater European resilience in space

The perspective is both industrial and societal. If successful, SATSOL could make it cheaper to launch small satellites into service, thereby strengthening access to solutions within climate monitoring, communications, security and research. The project will also contribute to building a European value chain for space solar cells and reducing dependence on suppliers outside Europe and NATO.

For Denmark, the project could be a step towards a stronger position in the growing European space economy. The ambition is to link research, industrial upscaling and satellite integration into one overall development effort with potential for new jobs, exports and technological sovereignty.

Strong partnership from research to satellite

Behind SATSOL is a consortium that covers the entire chain from research to production and application. METR leads the project and will drive project management, industrialization and scale-up. DTU contributes with research, material screening, testing and development of modules and quantum dot solutions. Nice Visions works with requirements specification, market dialogue and commercialization. GOMSpace contributes as a central integration partner and end user and will ensure that the developed solutions can be integrated into microsatellite platforms and later demonstrated in a realistic space context.

The combination of research competencies, industrial development and access to the international space ecosystem will help ensure that the project not only develops new technology, but also brings it closer to real-world application.

Facts

• Innovation Fund's investment: DKK 15 million.
• Total budget: 18.8 million DKK.
• Duration: 3 years
• Project start: April 1, 2026
• Official title: Low-cost PV cells for space usage (SATSOL)

About the partners

METR ApS is the project manager and works with project management, industrialization, production transfer and scaling up of the new solar modules.

DTU contributes with research and testing within solar cells, materials, modules, quantum dots and environmental impacts relevant to space use.

Nice Visions contributes with market insight, requirements specification, business development and commercialization.

GOMSpace A/S contributes as an integration partner with knowledge about microsatellites, integration requirements and use in operational satellite platforms.