Did you ever think that solar power generation in space could be 10x cheaper, 20% more efficient, and extend operational life to over 50 years? Well, that’s what the Arizona-based startup Solestial believes it can achieve with its silicon cell technology. We bring in CEO Stan Herasimenka for his first-ever podcast to discuss the unique challenges and differences between terrestrial and space solar cells, and the technological advancements his company is making to produce radiation-hardened, thin, and flexible solar cells for space use.

Stan and Mo also cover:

– Market potential for solar technology
– Reengineering long-established technology
– Solestial’s business model and scaling plans
– Future trends in space solar

And much more…

• Chapters •
00:00 - Intro
00:36 - What are you building?
00:59 - What prompted Stan to start Solestial?
01:57 - Terrestrial vs extraterrestrial solar cells
05:10 - How long would a terrestrial solar cell last in space?
08:27 - Who are the main players?
11:02 - What is III-V?
12:25 - Supply/demand gap
16:03 - Core product offering
18:26 - What is the reason not to have a turnkey solution?
19:53 - Cost of activeness vs COTS
23:40 - Target cost of cells
24:30 - Why would a customer pay more for a premium solar cell?
27:37 - Self-curing radiation damage
30:52 - Perovskite cells
33:20 - Manufacturing and scaling
36:18 - Where is Solestial based?
37:01 - Customer traction
38:39 - Team makeup
40:18 - Financing plans?
41:51 - When will Solestial have their first array in space?
43:13 - What does Stan do when he's not talking about solar cells?
44:09 - Other companies Stan is excited about

• Show notes •
Solestial’s website — https://solestial.com/
Stan’s socials —   / stan-herasimenka-5932561b  
Mo's socials —   / itsmoislam  
Payload’s socials —   / payloadspace   /   / payloadspace  
Pathfinder archive — Watch:    / @payloadspace   Pathfinder archive — Listen: https://pod.payloadspace.com/episodes
 
• About us •
Pathfinder is brought to you by Payload, a modern space media brand built from the ground up for a new age of space exploration and commercialization. We deliver need-to-know news and insights daily to 19,000+ commercial, civil, and military space leaders. Payload is read by decision-makers at every leading new space company, along with c-suite leaders at all of the aerospace & defense primes. We’re also read on Capitol Hill, in the Pentagon, and at space agencies around the world.

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