Ascent Solar Technologies Broadens Thin-Film Space PV Testing Program to Expand on NASA’s Results as Demand Grows for Multi-Orbit Solar Solutions

THORNTON, Colo., Aug. 18, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc. ("Ascent" or the "Company") (Nasdaq: ASTI), the leading U.S. innovator in the design and manufacturing of featherweight, flexible thin-film photovoltaic (PV) solutions, today announced plans to expand testing of its CIGS PV technology beyond low Earth orbit (LEO) as Company leadership has received an increase in requests for solar solutions capable of supporting missions across multiple orbital environments. Ascent is preparing a series of in-house characterization campaigns designed to validate the survivability and performance of its thin-film solar technology in increasingly challenging space conditions, concluding in Q4 2026.

Previous NASA testing in LEO demonstrated CIGS PV’s potential to recover from radiation exposure through its self-annealing properties, a phenomenon described in scholarly journals as “Remarkable Recovery.” Now, Ascent is extending that research to determine whether that same recovery is possible in the more demanding radiation environments of medium Earth orbit (MEO), geostationary orbit (GEO) and other high-energy orbits, to bolster the qualifications of its thin-film solar products for an expanding range of space applications.