By Meg Flippin Benzinga

DETROIT, MICHIGAN - January 13, 2026 (NEWMEDIAWIRE) - The phrase “to space and beyond” may very well encapsulate the year Ascent Solar Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: ASTI) had and what could be in store for it in the new year. The maker of featherweight, flexible and durable CIGS thin-film photovoltaic (PV) solutions reached a lot of milestones during the year as it expanded into the space market, all of which it says positions the company for strength in 2026. 

During the year, Ascent engaged with several strategic partners – from NASA to defense contractors - which are using Ascent's advanced PV solutions to power everything from spacecraft to satellites. Ascent reports that customers are choosing its solar panels because they work great in extreme environments, perform well in low light conditions and are lightweight and bendable.

Winning Over Customers 

Ascent’s deal with NOVI Space Inc., a space company that makes and operates AI-powered satellites, is a perfect example of how its technology has been put to work in outer space in 2025. In March, the two inked a Master Services Agreement under which Ascent is providing NOVI with rollable PV array blankets so that it can deliver real-time Earth Observation (EO) insights directly from space. Ascent's PV array blankets will be used in NOVI’s AI edge processing constellation slated to launch in the beginning of 2026.

Beyond its technology, NOVI chose Ascent because it was able to make the PV array blankets in a much shorter time. Ascent says it can deliver solar arrays in six to eight weeks, much faster than the industry lead time of nine to 12 months. NOVI is just one example of how Ascent is able to rapidly deliver advanced PVs to a customer, which it says is a key differentiator and why it expects to be busy in 2026. 

Ascent is also working with NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, with support from NASA Glenn Research Center, to develop technology that can receive beamed power using its PVs. Energy is beamed from satellites or orbital vehicles to these thin, flexible PV panels affixed to the spacecraft via microwave or laser beam. Once the energy is captured in the CIGS PV modules, the spacecraft will be able to go further for longer periods of time. Plus, the spacecraft will be lighter and cheaper to make because it has fewer parts and needs less equipment to power it. 

An ocean monitoring company is testing Ascent Solar’s PV functionality and durability in aquatic terrestrial applications, with the intent of enabling persistent equipment operation of ocean-based monitoring technologies. And that’s just some of the customers testing Ascent’s PV technology.  

Teaming Up To Compete 

Working with customers isn’t the only way Ascent is going after the solar space market. It is also 

partnering with other players within the industry to go after a market projected to reach $6.8 billion by 2040. 

Take Ascent’s recent deal with CisLunar Industries, which makes advanced hardware and embedded control software for power conversion and conditioning. In November, the two announced they are teaming up to develop long-lasting power solutions for longer commercial, civil and defense space missions. 

Then there’s its strategic partnership with Defiant Space Corp. Defiant Space provides space solutions for the defense and national security market. Through this partnership, the companies will pursue opportunities in the U.S. defense and national security sectors. The MOU Ascent signed with Star Catcher Industries, a company creating what it claims is the first space energy grid, is yet another example of Ascent’s collaborative approach to the solar space market. 

According to the companies, by transmitting concentrated solar energy to clients’ existing onboard solar arrays without the need for any new equipment, Star Catcher is providing satellite operators with up to five to ten times more power. With Ascent, the customers now get access to space solar, and the two are teaming up to go after this new market opportunity. 

Going after the market is one thing, but closing the deal means continuing to advance the offering. That’s why during the year the company inked several tech alliances to further its PV technology and power solutions. One was a deal with Emtel Energy USA to combine Emtel's graphene-based, long-duration energy storage (ELDES) with Ascent's PVs to power satellites, spacecraft and other space architecture. 

A Bright Future Heading Into 2026?

All of those deals and collaborations have Ascent optimistic as we head into the new year. After all, the company is ending 2025 with $2 million in gross proceeds from a private placement with the potential of up to $3.5 million of aggregate proceeds upon exercise of the warrants in full. 

Heading into January, the first order of business, according to Ascent, is to adhere to an "aggressive" production schedule to deliver on its booked orders for array deployments planned for the first quarter. At the same time, Ascent will be focused on advancing cell efficiency for its ASTI CIGS thin-film technology.

The company’s CEO will also head to the EU to meet with strategic satellite players and decision-makers, which could drive more deals, customer wins and collaborations. Ascent is anticipating more development and deliveries of solar arrays for European partners in the first half of 2026 as a result of that trip. 

As for the space market, Ascent said that during the first quarter advanced environmental testing will continue to quantify performance in the extremes of space, including radiation and atomic oxygen resilience testing. The company will also continue to collaborate with the partners secured in 2025. And that’s only the first quarter. 

From signing new customers to forging alliances, Ascent Solar is going to “space and beyond.” To learn more about Ascent Solar’s plans for 2026, and what got it there, click here. 

Featured image from Shutterstock.

This post contains sponsored content. This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be investing advice.

This content was originally published on Benzinga. Read further disclosures here.

View the original release on www.newmediawire.com