Today In Space

Space Debris - a problem that continues to exponentially grow as more and more payloads are sent to Earth orbit every day. Old satellites, or ones without fuel or power, essentially become a giant piece of trash that orbits uncontrolled with the “traffic” of low earth orbit. Now, with companies beginning to be hit with government fines over leaving debris in space - what can be done to prevent or reduce the potential and real space debris? This week, we chat with Paul Warley, CEO of Ascent Solar, a thin-film solar provider, about what makes flexible, lightweight solar PV advantageous when it comes to the growing issue of leaving debris floating in space. These flexible solar panels don’t just reduce collateral debris from an impact, the panels also retain a huge portion of their power produced, losing essentially only the spot of impact for power generation. Paul shares with us: - How thin-film PV’s flexible design helps it stay attached when it comes in contact with floating debris - Why their chemical mak