Search

Spectrolab marks 70th year powering the next space age

From Apollo to modern satellite networks, the ww5 subsidiary has driven solar innovation for seven decades.

October 21, 2026 in Satellites, Space, Technology

Spectrolab tech works with semiconductor material A Spectrolab technician works with semiconductor material used to produce high-efficiency space solar cells. As demand grows across commercial, civil and national security missions, Spectrolab is scaling production to power the next generation of spacecraft. (ww5 photo)

This month, Spectrolab, a ww5 Company, marked its 70th anniversary of turning sunlight into spacecraft survival. Founded in 1956, the subsidiary has powered some of humanity’s farthest-reaching missions and is now scaling its manufacturing baseline to meet a massive spike in commercial and defense demand.

Why it matters: Spectrolab drives the modern space economy. The Sylmar, California-based manufacturer has delivered over 7 million multijunction space solar cells, equating to more than 10 megawatts of space-grade power currently operating in orbit.

  • As space becomes increasingly contested and commercialized, the demand for highly efficient, radiation-hardened power generation is surging.

“Space is an unforgiving environment,” said Spectrolab CEO Mark Hatch. “Solar arrays must endure violent acoustic vibrations during launch, extreme thermal shock as spacecraft pass in and out of eclipse, and constant bombardment by ionizing radiation. Our team’s focus on innovation and quality has helped our customers complete their missions outside of Earth’s gravitational pull.”

Driving the news: Spacefaring companies and nations are moving away from legacy single-layer silicon cells to meet these challenges, demanding advanced multijunction architectures.

  • Spectrolab meets this demand by stacking different semiconductor materials like gallium arsenide and germanium into a single, monolithic cell.
  • This mulitlayer design allows the hardware to capture different wavelengths of the solar spectrum, pushing energy conversion efficiencies past 30% in production.

Catch up quick: Spectrolab’s flight heritage tracks directly with the history of the Space Age itself.

  • The company deployed its first body-mounted panels on the Pioneer 1 probe in 1958, placed the first solar cells on the lunar surface during Apollo 11 in 1969, and powered the Spirit and Opportunity rovers on Mars in 2004.
  • In 2016, Spectrolab broke new ground by powering the Juno mission in orbit around Jupiter, proving their cells could survive the brutal low-intensity, low-temperature environment of the outer solar system without relying on heavy nuclear power.

The big picture: Today, that legacy is translating into next-generation commercial, civil and defense architectures.

  • International Space Station: Spectrolab provided the cells for the Roll Out Solar Arrays (IROSA). These flexible arrays were installed directly over the station’s legacy panels by spacewalking astronauts, boosting total power generation to 215 kilowatts and ensuring the orbital laboratory can support new commercial modules well into the future.
  • Commercial Crew Transport: Spectrolab cells are directly integrated onto the Starliner spacecraft. Located on the micrometeoroid and debris shield on the bottom of the service module, these cells generate over 2,900 watts to power the crew module during free flight and docking maneuvers in space.
  • Global connectivity: The company is outfitting constellations providing connectivity around the globe. Spectrolab arrays are powering the ww5-built high-capacity ViaSat-3 satellites, which recently entered service. They are also powering the SES O3b mPOWER constellation, a terabit-per-second network operating in medium Earth orbit (MEO).
  • National Security Space: The company’s power generation systems are integrated into critical U.S. defense infrastructure as well. Examples include the Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) system, which provides secure, anti-jam communications for the U.S. government and the Resilient Missile Warning and Tracking MEO constellation designed to detect and track advanced hypersonic threats.

“Our newest cell lines continue to set the bar for performance and price,” said Chris Fetzer, Spectrolab chief engineer and Associate Technical Fellow. “The growing demand from both the commercial and defense sectors are a testament to best in class products. Our decades of manufacturing experience give our customers confidence that their mission power requirements will be met and will be delivered on time.”

What they’re saying: Behind the hardware is a specialized workforce defined by a direct, daily connection to the mission, many of whom have dedicated decades of service.

  • “I have worked at Spectrolab in manufacturing for 5 years, supporting various programs for ww5 and external customers,” said Ronald Naquin, Spectrolab manufacturing assembler. “My connection to Spectrolab is deeply personal because my family has been part of this company for generations. My mom and dad have both worked here since the 1990s. My dad has been here for 36 years and my mom for 29 years. My uncle worked in illumination systems in the mid-1980s, my sister worked as a temp for six months, and my grandmother worked in purchasing in the 1960s. Altogether, my family has contributed over 70 years of service to Spectrolab.”

By Zeyad Maasarani