Ascent Solar Technologies

Ascent Solar Technologies (ASTI) is a US manufacturer of ultra-light, flexible thin-film photovoltaic (PV) solar modules based in Thornton, Colorado. The company specializes in Copper Indium Gallium Selenide (CIGS) thin-film solar technology deposited on flexible plastic substrates, producing some of the lightest and most conformable solar panels available for space and terrestrial applications.

AST's ELF (Extremely Light and Flexible) product line provides specific power density of over 1,000 W/kg — dramatically exceeding rigid silicon solar arrays — enabling new form factors for spacecraft, SmallSats, and CubeSats where mass budget and stowage volume are critical constraints. The flexible, rollable solar panels can be deployed from compact housings to generate substantial power, making them ideal for next-generation solar arrays on small satellites and constellation spacecraft.

The company's space heritage includes solar panels deployed on multiple satellite missions and ISS experiments, demonstrating on-orbit performance under the full range of orbital thermal cycling and space radiation. ASTI also supplies panels for terrestrial applications including defense portable power systems, wearable electronics, and UAVs.

Founded in 2005 and headquartered in Thornton, Colorado, Ascent Solar Technologies is a publicly traded company (NASDAQ: ASTI) with a dedicated R&D and manufacturing facility for thin-film PV technology development and production.