Flexell Space and Kongsberg NanoAvionics sign multi-million euro solar array supply contract for Korean satellite programme

18 March 2026

Flexell Space, has signed a multi-million euro solar array supply contract with Lithuania-based satellite bus manufacturer and mission integrator, Kongsberg NanoAvionics (NanoAvionics). This strategic partnership agreement covers the supply of deployable kilowatt-class satellite solar arrays for sovereign Low-Earth Orbit national security satellites, built by Hanwha Systems, currently under development in Korea.

Through this partnership, the two companies aim to implement an optimised power system tailored to the satellite project while further strengthening reliability and quality verification processes. It combines NanoAvionics’s expertise in satellite platform design and manufacturing with Flexell’s technical validation and quality assurance capabilities. 

Under the agreement, NanoAvionics will design and manufacture the solar arrays to be integrated into Hanwha Systems’ satellites. While Flexell Space will conduct final quality inspection and acceptance testing to ensure compliance with domestic customer requirements.

Beyond the supply of solar arrays, the companies are also exploring the integration of Flexell Space’s next-generation solar cells for space into NanoAvionics’s CubeSat and microsatellite platforms. When combined, the technology aims to reduce cost and provide greater design flexibility while meeting the lifetime power efficiency of traditional Gallium Arsenide cells. Flexell is developing their Copper Indium Gallium Selenide and perovskite solar cells with a focus on low cost, large-area scalability, and ultra-lightweight characteristics.

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

Atle Woello, CEO of Kongsberg NanoAvionics, said: “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. We are seeing increased interest in our products and services from other domestic national security missions.

“This contract also builds on our great track record working with Korean commercial space companies and scientific institutions. Moreover, it could become a model case for a strategic collaboration between a domestic space technology company and a global satellite platform provider, potentially serving as a gateway for broader international market expansion.”