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CESI Solar Cells Fuels the Satellites of the Global Internet
Milan, April 24th, 2024
The Italian group CESI has secured a contract, with options valued at over one hundred million euros over five years, with one of the world’s leading companies in the production of space systems. According to the agreement, #CESI is tasked with providing hundreds of thousands of solar cells over these five years, enough to equip eight #satellites per month.
These cells will power American space satellites, providing them with the energy needed to bring the internet to every corner of our planet, including the poles. This is a strategically significant investment that places CESI and Italy at the forefront of the Space Economy.
“The recent contract signed is not just a sign of our technological competence but also of our ability to be an integral part of ambitious projects. Space technologies will increasingly support terrestrial applications, thus contributing to the improvement of life on our planet. This implies profound expertise for their development in the years to come. CESI is ready for this challenge”, says the CEO of the Group, Domenico Villani.
Within this context, CESI has leveraged proprietary technologies to design, produce, and test solar cells in its Milan laboratories. These cells now power over a hundred civilian satellites for clients across twenty five countries worldwide. CESI’s #solar cells are made from materials like #gallium arsenide and indium gallium phosphide, exceptionally suited to the harsh conditions of space, where common terrestrial silicon solar cells would not adequately withstand.
The Italian multinational has developed several groundbreaking technologies, including flexible cells that can conform to the surfaces of satellites or spacecraft, and the Integral Assembly. This innovation focuses on optimizing the cell assembly process, eliminating the need for protective glass and thereby reducing the weight and launch costs of satellites. CESI’s cells are qualified for both low Earth orbit (LEO) and geostationary orbit (GEO) satellites.
Finally, the company stands as one of only four global manufacturers of these products and the sole proprietor with complete European control.
Space solar cells convert solar energy into electricity in harsh environmental conditions, providing power to satellites. They are light, compact, and highly efficient, crucial features for minimizing launch costs and maximizing satellite payload capacity. Moreover, they withstand extreme temperatures and radiation, ensuring stable and continuous power supply. In short, they are an essential element for the functioning of satellites in orbit, devices for which a significant production increase is expected, given their use on various fronts beyond the traditional telecommunications.
CESI For nearly seventy years, CESI has been offering its clients, spread across more than 70 countries, a range of services in innovation, digitalization, testing, engineering, and consultancy for the electrical sector as well as in civil and environmental engineering. CESI is among the few companies globally that develop and produce advanced solar cells for space applications.
About CESI Spa
CESI is a global leader in technical consulting and engineering for the electric power sector. Its division, KEMA Labs, holds the world’s top position in independent Testing, Inspection, and Certification activities within the electricity industry. More
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