Atomic 6 receives 2M Area Pressure award to advance subsequent era photo voltaic arrays
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 07, 2025
Atomic-6 has secured a $2 million Tactical Funding Improve (TACFI) from the U.S. Area Pressure’s Area Programs Command to speed up growth of its Mild Wing photo voltaic array. The award helps a 21-month effort to mature and qualify the expertise for industrial and protection missions.
The all-composite Mild Wing array gives greater than 4 occasions the power-per-kilogram of present programs, optimized for high-energy orbital duties together with communications, compute operations, and house station assist. Testing milestones embrace composite materials validation, cell compatibility trials, and Thermal Vacuum and Vibration testing to simulate launch and house situations.
The photo voltaic array’s structure minimizes transferring elements and employs monostable composite hinges, enhancing reliability and enabling repeatable retraction and deployment cycles. This design unlocks new potential for Rendezvous, Proximity Operations, and Docking (RPOD) missions by lowering deployment failure, the main explanation for satellite tv for pc loss.
Worth Forbes, a specialist house insurance coverage dealer underneath Lloyd’s of London, is partaking insurers to familiarize them with the Mild Wing expertise, doubtlessly resulting in decreased premiums for satellite tv for pc operators utilizing the array.
Former ISS Commander Chris Hadfield has joined Atomic-6’s advisory board to information market entry methods. “After a number of spacewalks and orbital mechanism deployments, I do know the worth of easy, gentle, powerful, highly effective photo voltaic arrays,” Hadfield stated.
Echoing this sentiment, astronaut Dr. Scott Parazynski added, “Having repaired a dwell photo voltaic array whereas spacewalking, I can attest that Atomic-6’s Mild Wing delivers the proper mix of simplicity and sturdiness that house missions actually want.”
Sidus Area lately chosen Mild Wing arrays to energy the primary industrial lunar knowledge facilities in collaboration with Lonestar Information Holdings. “As we increase the capabilities of our LizzieSat platform… we’re proud to collaborate with companions who supply cutting-edge applied sciences,” stated Sidus Area CEO Carol Craig.
With $2.7 billion in contract requests already on file, Atomic-6 is positioning Mild Wing as a foundational expertise for cislunar and orbital protection purposes. CEO Trevor Smith famous, “It is immensely gratifying to be the crucial enabler for our prospects, empowering them to realize the required scale and cadence for achievement.”
The corporate designs and manufactures superior composite parts for excessive environments, leveraging proprietary strategies developed by in-house engineers and supplies scientists.
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