Chinese PV manufacturer JA has launched its internally developed and packaged p-type heterojunction (P-HJT) photovoltaic modules into space, beginning the technology’s first in-orbit test as the company explores potential applications in commercial space power systems.
The modules traveled aboard a Kuaizhou-11 Y3 rocket launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 10:40 Beijing time on Sept. 17. The mission placed the Tianyi-51 and Tianyi-52 commercial remote-sensing satellites into their planned orbits. JA’s modules are hosted payloads and do not serve as the satellites’ primary power systems.
JA said the program will compare in-orbit operating data with ground-based simulation results and assess the long-term reliability and degradation of P-HJT technology under low Earth orbit conditions, including intense radiation, exposure to high-energy particles and repeated thermal cycling.
The company has been developing ultrathin, flexible silicon wafers, space-specific cell grid designs, packaging technologies and low-temperature soldering processes. It has filed patents covering several of these technologies.
JA has not disclosed key specifications for the flight hardware, including module dimensions, rated power, weight, cell count, precise orbital parameters or the planned duration of the experiment. It has also provided no details about the telemetry architecture or the amount of electricity the modules are expected to generate during the test.
The company displayed a separate space PV concept at SNEC 2026. That device featured a 60-micron p-type silicon structure combined with a perovskite tandem architecture, a third-party-certified efficiency of more than 30% and a power-to-weight ratio exceeding 2 W/g. There is no evidence that these specifications apply to the modules launched in September.
The use of p-type rather than n-type silicon reflects the different demands placed on solar cells in space. Radiation-induced lattice defects reduce minority-carrier lifetimes in crystalline silicon. In p-type material, the minority carriers are electrons, which generally tolerate displacement damage better than the minority holes in n-type material. Published irradiation studies have consequently shown substantially better radiation resistance in P-HJT structures than in comparable n-type HJT cells.
JA said crystalline silicon could offer a more cost-competitive alternative to gallium arsenide cells for some low Earth orbit applications if the technology meets its validation targets. The company identified satellite internet, remote sensing, space communications and space-based computing as potential markets.
However, the company stressed that the program remains at an early validation stage, noting that it has no space PV orders, that prospects for large-scale commercialization remain highly uncertain and that the program has no material effect on its current operating performance.
The orbital experiment follows several earlier moves by JA into space photovoltaics. In February, it signed a cooperation agreement with certification body CGC covering ground-based reliability testing, in-orbit power-generation monitoring and post-flight failure analysis. In June, the company helped establish a space energy technology alliance involving materials, equipment and testing companies.
The September mission marks the beginning of a long-term validation process rather than evidence of commercial readiness. A more significant milestone will be whether sustained in-orbit data demonstrate sufficiently low degradation and high reliability for crystalline silicon modules to compete in future satellite power systems.
This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: [email protected].
This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: [email protected].
Comments
Please login to comment
The new issue of pv magazine Global is out now!
Available in print and digital – get your copy today!
Martedì, 22 Settembre 2026
11:00 – 12:00 CEST, Roma
Saudi Arabia is accelerating its clean energy transition—join the SunRise Arabia Clean Energy Conference 2026 in Riyadh to explore how solar PV and energy storage are powering its digital economy.
pv magazine USA hosts its multi-day virtual event on U.S. solar and energy storage, covering domestic manufacturing, distributed energy and the growing role of solar-plus-storage in meeting AI-driven power demand.
A two-day conference in Austin, Texas, bringing together leaders in US solar manufacturing, equipment specification, and factory execution.
Monday, October 26, 2026
10:30 am – 11:30 am CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Giovedì, 1 ottobre 2026
14:30 – 15:30 CEST, Roma
You have no items in your basket.
