A conference on the future of space energy is quietly taking place inside SpaceX's headquarters building in Hawthorne, California. On the big screen at the other end of the conference room, connected are technical teams from multiple photovoltaic companies located far away in China. At the beginning of 2026, a news that could shake the global energy and aerospace industry spread: Musk's space exploration technology company is intensively visiting the Chinese HJT industry chain to search for lightweight and radiation resistant space photovoltaic modules for its "orbital data center" satellite program. This marks the official entry of space photovoltaics from conceptual exploration into the supply chain landing stage, and Chinese HJT enterprises, with their technology cost reduction and mass production capabilities, are becoming the core support of this billion dollar space energy revolution.

Why HJT is the 'optimal solution' for space photovoltaics

Traditional space photovoltaics rely on gallium arsenide materials, with a cost of up to 200000 to 300000 yuan per square meter. This price ceiling makes the energy demand for millions of satellites impossible. The breakthrough advantage of HJT technology is breaking through this dilemma.

HJT batteries, with their ultra-thin characteristics, can have a thickness of less than 50 microns, while also possessing flexibility and high radiation resistance, perfectly meeting the demanding requirements of space scenes. More importantly, the cost reduction advantage brought by China's mature crystalline silicon industry chain has made HJT the only large-scale solution for space photovoltaics. Industry predictions suggest that adopting HJT technology can reduce the cost of space components by over 60%, clearing the biggest obstacle for SpaceX's Starlink program. This is not only a technological victory, but also an inevitable return on the years of deep cultivation of China's photovoltaic industry chain.

Seven Chinese suppliers lock in space orders

With the deepening of cooperation, seven Chinese HJT industry chain enterprises have taken the lead in securing SpaceX orders, forming a "Chinese army" of space photovoltaics. As a global leader in HJT whole line equipment, Maiwei Corporation has received a 7GW trial production line order from SpaceX. Its perovskite/HJT stacked battery has an efficiency of 32.38%, perfectly meeting the lightweight requirements of the Starlink V3 satellite. Dongfang Risheng has become the only domestic enterprise to publicly confirm the bulk supply of P-type ultra-thin HJT batteries to the space supply chain, with a monthly supply of over 100000 pieces starting from 2026. The premium for space components is more than 10 times that of ground products.

The equipment sector also has frequent good news. As a leading enterprise with a global market share of 70% in component string welding machines, Ultrawell's low-temperature welding technology has solved the problem of HJT battery fragility and has become a secondary supplier of SpaceX packaging equipment, with orders reaching GW level. Jiejiawei is the leader in HJT coating equipment, with a perovskite stacked cell efficiency exceeding 32.8%. Recently, it is in talks with SpaceX for equipment supply cooperation and is expected to become its core supplier of space photovoltaics.

Chinese enterprises also have a presence in the material and process links. As one of the two domestic giants of HJT low-temperature silver paste, Dike Corporation has obtained small batch orders for commercial aerospace solar wings, with a unit price five times that of ground products, and has passed SpaceX's second level supplier certification. Jinchen Co., Ltd. focuses on HJT battery coating and printing equipment. Recently, it passed the initial review of SpaceX suppliers, and its aerospace grade retrofit equipment meets the high-precision production requirements of space components. As a leading HJT production capacity company, Junda Corporation has mature thin film technology and has reached a technical support cooperation agreement with SpaceX supply chain enterprises. Its production capacity is expected to exceed 60GW by 2026.

Space energy path with both opportunities and challenges

Despite the broad prospects of space photovoltaics, industry experts point out that its development needs to go through three clear stages: low orbit satellite energy will achieve large-scale application within 5 years, space computing power centers are expected to take shape within 5 to 10 years, and space photovoltaic power plants are the ultimate long-term goal.

The current technology is still in its early stages, and the industrialization process is constrained by multiple factors such as cost, policy, and technological stability. The technological leap from gallium arsenide to HJT has taken a crucial step, but the leap from the ground to space still requires numerous tests such as vacuum environment, extreme temperature difference, and cosmic rays. For the capital market, it is necessary to rationally view the popularity of concepts and pay attention to the actual orders and technological landing capabilities of enterprises. Keywords: Photovoltaic New Energy News, Photovoltaic New Energy Information

When Musk's gaze turned to Chinese photovoltaics, a cross-border energy revolution had already begun. Seven Chinese companies have stepped onto the starting line, and the endpoint of this competition is the vast starry sky. Editor/Yang Beihua