EMCORE Awarded Solar Panel Manufacturing Contract for NASA’s Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) Mission
EMCORE Corporation (Nasdaq:EMKR), a leading provider of compound semiconductor-based components and subsystems for the fiber optic and solar power markets, announced today that the it has been awarded a contract by ASRC Research and Technology Solutions (ARTS), Greenbelt, Maryland for the design, manufacturing and delivery of solar panels for NASA Ames’ Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) mission.
LADEE is a robotic mission designed to orbit the Moon. Its main objective is to study and characterize the lunar atmosphere, including fine dust particles suspended above the lunar surface. The spacecraft is currently scheduled to be launched in early 2013 aboard a Minotaur V vehicle from the Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia.
A total of 32 solar panels will be built for LADEE at EMCORE’s state-of–the-art manufacturing facilities located in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
“This contract is an exciting award for EMCORE, and we are proud to support NASA’s newest lunar mission,” said Christopher Larocca, Chief Operating Officer for EMCORE. “EMCORE has previously been awarded solar panel contracts for several other NASA missions, including the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and the Magnetospheric Multi-Scale (MMS) missions. We appreciate NASA’s continued confidence in EMCORE to supply solar panels for their demanding spacecraft power systems.”
EMCORE is the world’s leading manufacturer of highly-efficient radiation-hard solar cells for space power applications. With a beginning-of-life (BOL) conversion efficiency nearing 30% and the option for a patented, onboard monolithic bypass diode, EMCORE’s industry leading multi-junction solar cells provide the highest available power to interplanetary spacecraft and earth orbiting satellites.
About EMCORE
EMCORE Corporation offers a broad portfolio of compound semiconductor- based products for the broadband, fiber optic, satellite and solar power markets. EMCORE’s Fiber Optic segment offers optical components, subsystems and systems for high speed data and telecommunications networks, cable television (CATV) and fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP). EMCORE’s Photovoltaic segment provides products for both satellite and terrestrial applications. For satellite applications, EMCORE offers high-efficiency Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) solar cells, Covered Interconnect Cells (CICs) and panels. For terrestrial applications, EMCORE is adapting its high-efficiency GaAs solar cells for use in solar concentrator systems. For further information about EMCORE, visit http://www.emcore.com.
