Microsatellite solar array production. Photo: Kongsberg NanoAvionics

Flexell Space and Kongsberg NanoAvionics will jointly supply solar arrays for K-LEO, South Korea’s sovereign Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) national security constellation, Flexell said in a statement on Wednesday. Hanwha Systems is currently developing the satellites.

Lithuania-based NanoAvionics will design and manufacture the solar arrays, and South Korea-based Flexell will conduct quality assurance testing to ensure compliance with Korean customer requirements.

The companies are also exploring the integration of Flexell’s copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) and perovskite solar cells into NanoAvionics’ cubesat and microsatellite platforms, Flexell said. The combined technology is designed to reduce costs, increase flexibility, and match the power efficiency of traditional gallium arsenide cells.

“This collaboration goes beyond simple component procurement and represents an important opportunity to further strengthen our quality verification capabilities,” Flexell Space CEO Tim Ahn said. “It will also serve as a meaningful milestone in accelerating the integration of our next-generation solar cells into actual satellite array systems.”

“Being selected by Flexell is testimony to our strong subsystem portfolio spanning standard spacecraft components and expertly engineered tailored solutions that meet specific customer mission requirements,” Kongsberg CEO Atle Woello said. “We are seeing increased interest in our products and services from other domestic national security missions.”

In developing K-LEO, Hanwha has welcomed collaborators. In January, it announced separate MoUs with Canadian space companies Telesat and MDA Space to explore using their communications infrastructure. K-LEO is a Korean initiative for sovereign defense capabilities and secure communication for national security operations.