DragonSCALES Silicon Solar Cell Technology
mPower Technology
Ultralight, mesh-configured silicon solar cell technology for space power — 3-5x lower cost than GaAs, 15-20 year radiation-recovery lifetime, flight-proven with OneWeb and Lynk Global.
Technical specifications
- Cell technology
- Patented silicon solar cell (not GaAs/III-V)
- Radiation lifetime
- 15-20 years (with annealing/recovery)
- Architecture
- Mesh configuration — fault isolation, no single-point failure
- Mechanical properties
- Flexible, shade tolerant, pre-wired
- Flight customers
- OneWeb, Lynk Global
- Selected for
- Airbus MDA Aurora program
- Total funding raised
- $46.76M (Series A 2020, Series B 2025)
About
DragonSCALES is mPower Technology’s patented silicon solar cell architecture, originally developed at Sandia National Laboratories and rigorously field- and flight-tested. Built around a mesh configuration using low-cost, readily available materials with inherently integrated wiring, the design enables high-volume, fully automated, turnkey manufacturing at 3–5x lower cost than gallium arsenide-based (III-V) legacy solutions. The mesh architecture isolates faults and eliminates single-point failures, while radiation-resistant, annealing-capable cells deliver 15–20-year lifetimes even in high-radiation environments. The technology is mechanically flexible, shade tolerant, and pre-wired for simplified spacecraft integration. DragonSCALES has been selected by Airbus for the MDA Aurora program and is flight-proven with customers including Lynk Global and OneWeb, supporting applications from satellite constellations to lunar/deep space missions, space logistics and mobility, and space-based solar power.
Documentation
No public datasheet yet — request the datasheet / ICD from the supplier.
