CORRECTED VERSION: Ascent Solar Technologies’ PV Blankets to Power NOVI AI Geo-Intelligence Spacecraft, N1-ATLAS, Scheduled for Launch This Spring

Rhea-AI Summary

Ascent Solar Technologies (NASDAQ: ASTI) announced its previously delivered flexible thin-film PV blankets have been integrated into NOVI's N-1 ATLAS spacecraft, scheduled to fly on the SpaceX Falcon 9 Transporter-16 launch next month.

The toaster-sized hyperspectral spacecraft will generate 150W using Ascent’s tightly rolled CIGS array, reducing stowed volume and aiming to lower costs across NOVI’s planned constellation. The company cited rapid domestic manufacturing, reductions in mass and volume versus silicon arrays, and durability and sustainability benefits.

Positive

• Integration confirmed on NOVI N-1 ATLAS scheduled for launch next month
• N-1 ATLAS to generate 150W from Ascent flexible CIGS array
• Design enables tightly rolled stowed configuration, minimizing volume
• Company cites domestic rapid manufacturing enabling fast supply

Negative

• None.

Key Figures

Spacecraft power output: 150W

1 metrics

Spacecraft power output 150W Power generated by N1-ATLAS using Ascent’s PV blankets

Market Reality Check

Price: $6.54 Vol: Volume 1,110,295 is 0.38x...

low vol

$6.54 Last Close

Volume Volume 1,110,295 is 0.38x the 20-day average of 2,887,885, indicating subdued trading relative to recent activity. low

Technical Shares at $6.545 trade above the 200-day MA of $2.76, while sitting 33.69% below the 52-week high of $9.87 and well above the $1.10 52-week low.

Peers on Argus

ASTI gained 10% on the AI/space PV blanket news while solar peers were mixed: BE...

1 Up 1 Down

ASTI gained 10% on the AI/space PV blanket news while solar peers were mixed: BEEM up 4.52%, TURB up 5.54% in sector data but flagged down 5.28% in momentum scans, PN up 3.67%, and SUNE down 4.79%. Mixed peer direction with no related headlines supports a stock-specific reaction.

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Feb 05 (Positive)

Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Feb 05	Space R&D update	Positive	-7.7%	Progress on CIGS PV modules for space-based energy beaming and NASA work.
Jan 27	Financing close	Neutral	+4.8%	Closed private placement raising about $10M upfront with additional warrant upside.
Jan 26	Financing announcement	Negative	-19.1%	Announced up to $25M private placement with shares and warrants priced at-the-market.
Jan 22	Strategy update	Positive	+53.0%	Outlined 2025 milestones and 2026 goals with new defense and space partnerships.
Dec 08	Financing close	Negative	-3.1%	Closed up to $5.5M private placement with new warrants and working capital use.

Pattern Detected

Product and strategy updates have sometimes seen sharp gains, while financings and R&D updates have produced mixed or negative next-day moves.

Recent Company History

Recent news shows ASTI balancing commercialization, R&D, and financing. A Dec 8, 2025 private placement of up to $5.5M and subsequent January 2026 private placements of up to $25.0M funded growth but often coincided with negative price reactions. In contrast, the Jan 22, 2026 strategy update on 2025 achievements and 2026 goals saw a 53.03% jump. The current NOVI partnership fits the pattern of space-focused commercialization updates following earlier CIGS space-beaming development news on Feb 5, 2026.

Regulatory & Risk Context

Active S-3 Shelf

Shelf Active

Active S-3 Shelf Registration 2026-02-09

An effective Form S-3 shelf exists, amended on Feb 9, 2026 via an exhibits-only S-3/A. The company has already used this shelf with a 424B3 prospectus on Feb 12, 2026 to register 4,816,120 shares for resale, indicating an established structure for future registered transactions.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement highlights ASTI’s PV blankets powering NOVI’s N1-ATLAS spacecraft with 150W genera...

Analysis

This announcement highlights ASTI’s PV blankets powering NOVI’s N1-ATLAS spacecraft with 150W generation, reinforcing its positioning in space and AI-enabled geo-intelligence applications. It follows recent space R&D progress and a series of private placements and SEC registrations, including an effective S-3 shelf and a 424B3 for 4,816,120 resale shares. Investors may watch for follow-on contracts, constellation scale-up, execution of 2026 production plans, and how frequently the existing shelf and registered shares are utilized.

Key Terms

photovoltaic (pv), cigs, hyperspectral imaging, edge-compute

4 terms

photovoltaic (pv) technical

"featherweight, flexible thin-film photovoltaic (PV) solutions, today announced"

Photovoltaic (PV) describes technology that turns sunlight directly into electricity using panels made of materials that free electrons when struck by light; think of PV panels like artificial leaves that harvest sunlight to produce usable power. For investors, PV matters because it represents a source of predictable, long‑term revenue or cost savings, influences capital spending and asset values, and is affected by energy prices, government incentives and technology improvements.

cigs technical

"Integration of Ascent’s flexible CIGS array allows for a tightly rolled"

Cigs is an informal shorthand for cigarettes, the handheld tobacco products burned and inhaled. Investors watch sales and trends in cigs because they drive revenue, tax burdens, regulatory risk and public-health liabilities for companies in the tobacco and retail sectors; think of them like a staple product whose shifting demand, price controls or new substitutes (for example, vaping) can change a company’s cash flow and long-term outlook.

hyperspectral imaging technical

"N1-ATLAS, the toaster-sized hyperspectral imaging spacecraft (pictured below)"

Hyperspectral imaging is a camera technology that captures many narrow bands of light across the spectrum so each pixel contains detailed color “fingerprints” beyond what the eye or ordinary cameras see; think of a prism that splits light into hundreds of colors to reveal hidden materials or conditions. For investors, it matters because those hidden details enable new products and services (in agriculture, mining, defense, healthcare, remote sensing) that can create competitive advantage, new revenue streams, or development and regulatory risks for companies adopting or supplying the technology.

edge-compute technical

"multi-sensor, edge-compute platform designed to provide low-cost"

Edge-compute is the practice of running data processing and simple decision-making on devices or local servers close to where data is created, instead of sending everything to a distant central data center. Like a neighborhood cook preparing meals on the spot instead of shipping ingredients to a faraway kitchen, it reduces delays, cuts network costs and can keep services running when connections are poor. Investors care because it enables new real-time products, lowers operating expenses for data-heavy services, and can create competitive advantages for companies in IoT, streaming, logistics and other fast-data markets.

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 N-1 ATLAS spacecraft, scheduled to fly on the upcoming SpaceX Falcon 9 Transporter-16 launch next month.

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. N1-ATLAS, 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/bf8e656b-48d7-4839-895f-23cd7384b5c8

 

FAQ

What did Ascent Solar (ASTI) announce about the NOVI N-1 ATLAS spacecraft on Feb 25, 2026?

Ascent announced its delivered flexible PV blankets were integrated into NOVI's N-1 ATLAS spacecraft. According to the company, the blankets enable a tightly rolled configuration that minimizes stowed volume for the SpaceX Transporter-16 mission next month.

How much power will the ASTI PV blankets produce on NOVI’s N-1 ATLAS spacecraft?

The N-1 ATLAS spacecraft will generate 150W using Ascent’s flexible CIGS array. According to the company, that power level is typical of larger, higher-cost spacecraft but achieved here with lower mass and volume.

When will the spacecraft with ASTI solar blankets launch and on which rocket?

The spacecraft is scheduled to fly next month on SpaceX Falcon 9 Transporter-16. According to the company, the launch is part of NOVI’s spring mission demonstrating its GENIE edge-compute platform.

What operational benefits do ASTI PV blankets provide for small satellites and constellations?

Ascent’s flexible PV blankets reduce stowed volume and mass compared with silicon arrays. According to the company, this enables lower launch costs and compounded savings across NOVI’s planned constellation.

Does Ascent Solar say where its PV blankets are manufactured for the NOVI program?

Yes. Ascent cites rapid manufacturing in a domestic facility as a factor enabling quick supply to NOVI. According to the company, domestic production supported faster delivery timelines over the last year.

What mission will NOVI’s N-1 ATLAS perform using ASTI’s solar blankets?

N-1 ATLAS will demonstrate GENIE, NOVI’s open-access, multi-sensor, edge-compute geospatial platform. According to the company, the spacecraft is a hyperspectral imaging platform designed for low-cost, low-latency Earth observation.