Ascent Solar Technologies’ PV Blankets to Power NOVI AI Pathfinder Spacecraft Scheduled for Launch This Spring
Rhea-AI Summary
Ascent Solar Technologies (NASDAQ: ASTI) announced its delivered flexible thin-film PV blankets have been integrated into NOVI's Pathfinder spacecraft, set to fly on a SpaceX Falcon 9 Transporter no earlier than March 29, 2026. The toaster-sized hyperspectral craft will produce 150W using Ascent's tightly rolled CIGS array, reducing stowed volume, mass and cost versus traditional silicon arrays. NOVI will demonstrate its GENIE edge-compute platform; Ascent cited rapid domestic manufacturing as enabling quick supply and compounded savings across NOVI's planned constellation.
Positive
- Integration into NOVI Pathfinder spacecraft completed
- Power output of 150W from a toaster-sized craft
- Tightly rolled CIGS array minimizes stowed volume
- Domestic rapid manufacturing enabling faster customer supply
Negative
- Launch timing uncertain (scheduled no earlier than March 29, 2026)
Key Figures
Market Reality Check
Peers on Argus
Solar/related peers show mixed moves: SUNE +12.88%, BEEM +8.57%, SPRU +1.68% versus PN -1.51% and TURB -4.83%. Momentum scanner only flags TYGO -5.93%. With ASTI up 10%, this pattern points to stock-specific strength rather than a coordinated sector rotation.
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 05 | R&D progress update | Positive | -7.7% | Expanded CIGS PV development for space-based energy beaming and partnerships. |
| Jan 27 | Financing closed | Negative | +4.8% | Closed up to $25M private placement with warrants priced at-the-market. |
| Jan 26 | Financing announced | Negative | -19.1% | Entered agreements for up to $25M private placement with warrants. |
| Jan 22 | Strategy & outlook | Positive | +53.0% | Reviewed 2025 milestones and outlined 2026 goals, including new partnerships. |
| Dec 08 | Financing closed | Negative | -3.1% | Closed up to $5.5M private placement with series A and B warrants. |
Recent history shows sharp moves around both strategic updates and financings, with mixed alignment between news tone and price direction.
Over the last few months, Ascent Solar combined strategic execution with repeated capital raises. A Dec 8, 2025 private placement of up to $5.5M and subsequent larger January 2026 private placements (up to $25.0M) funded growth but often weighed on shares. In contrast, the Jan 22, 2026 strategy update tied to new defense and space partnerships saw a 53.03% gain. The Feb 5 R&D update on CIGS PV for space beaming drew a -7.72% reaction. Today’s NOVI spacecraft integration fits the space/commercialization thread in this trajectory.
Regulatory & Risk Context
An active shelf registration on Form S-3 was amended on 2026-02-09 via an exhibits-only S-3/A, primarily to update auditor consent. The shelf is effective and has been used at least once, as indicated by the 2026-02-12 Form 424B3 registering 4,816,120 common shares for resale by existing investors.
Market Pulse Summary
This announcement links Ascent Solar’s thin-film CIGS technology to a concrete commercial deployment, as NOVI’s toaster-sized Pathfinder spacecraft targets 150W output and a SpaceX launch no earlier than March 29. It builds on prior space-focused updates and recent financings that expanded capacity. Investors may watch execution of the launch, follow-on constellation orders, warrant exercises tied to recent private placements, and activity under the effective S-3 shelf and related 424B3 resale registration.
Key Terms
photovoltaic (pv) technical
cigs technical
hyperspectral imaging technical
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
THORNTON, Colo., Feb. 25, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ascent Solar Technologies (“Ascent” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: ASTI), the leading U.S. innovator in the design and manufacturing of featherweight, flexible thin-film photovoltaic (PV) solutions, today announced that its previously delivered solar blankets have been successfully integrated into NOVI’s Pathfinder spacecraft, scheduled to fly on a SpaceX Falcon 9 Transporter launch no earlier than March 29th.
NOVI's spring mission will demonstrate GENIE™ (Geospatial Ecosystem for Near Real-Time Information at the Edge), the company's flagship open-access, multi-sensor, edge-compute platform designed to provide low-cost, low-latency Earth observation data and real-time geospatial intelligence.
Integration of Ascent’s flexible CIGS array allows for a tightly rolled configuration that minimizes the stowed volume. Pathfinder, the toaster-sized hyperspectral imaging spacecraft (pictured below) will generate 150W, an amount of power typically seen on larger spacecraft at higher costs. NOVI is poised to recognize compounded savings across its planned constellation by partnership with Ascent.
“Our partnership with NOVI has evolved quickly over the last year. In large part due to our rapid manufacturing capabilities in a domestic facility, enabling Ascent to quickly supply product to customers looking for immediate solutions,” said Paul Warley, CEO of Ascent Solar Technologies. “Through this partnership with NOVI, we’re achieving lower costs on faster timelines, driving major reductions in mass and volume compared to traditional silicon solar arrays. Our solutions are also more durable and sustainable, which reduces space debris risks while improving efficiency for spacecraft operators.”
About Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc.
Backed by 40 years of R&D, 15 years of manufacturing experience, numerous awards, and a comprehensive IP and patent portfolio, Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc. is a leading provider of innovative, high-performance, flexible thin-film solar panels, optimized for use in space, military and defense, and other applications where mass, performance, reliability, and resilience are paramount.
Ascent’s photovoltaic (PV) modules have been deployed on space missions, multiple airborne vehicles, agrivoltaic installations, in industrial/commercial construction as well as an extensive range of consumer goods, revolutionizing the use cases and environments for solar power. Ascent Solar’s research and development center and 5-MW nameplate production facility is in Thornton, Colorado.
To learn more, visit https://www.ascentsolar.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release that are not statements of historical or current fact constitute "forward-looking statements" including statements about the financing transaction, our business strategy, and the potential uses of the proceeds from the transaction. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other unknown factors that could cause the company's actual operating results to be materially different from any historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. We have based these forward-looking statements on our current assumptions, expectations, and projections about future events. In addition to statements that explicitly describe these risks and uncertainties, readers are urged to consider statements that contain terms such as “will,” "believes," "belief," "expects," "expect," "intends," "intend," "anticipate," "anticipates," "plans," "plan," to be uncertain and forward-looking. No information in this press release should be construed as any indication whatsoever of our future revenues, stock price, or results of operations. The forward-looking statements contained herein are also subject generally to other risks and uncertainties that are described from time to time in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including those discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in our most recently filed reports on Forms 10-K and 10-Q.
Media Contact:
Spencer Herrmann
FischTank PR
Ascent@FischTankPR.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fe5bd56f-e3da-4b1d-9877-44a1e840997e
FAQ
What will Ascent Solar (ASTI) supply for NOVI's Pathfinder mission on March 29, 2026?
How much power will the ASTI PV blankets generate on NOVI's Pathfinder spacecraft?
What does the ASTI and NOVI partnership mean for ASTI shareholders?
When is NOVI's Pathfinder launch carrying ASTI PV blankets scheduled and on which rocket?
How do ASTI's flexible PV blankets reduce spacecraft mass and volume for NOVI?
