Rocket Lab shares climb on launch of new germanium-free solar cell

Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ:RKLB) saw its shares rise 2.4% in Wednesday's premarket session, following the company's unveiling of a germanium-free solar cell designed for space.

Rocket Lab launched IMM Apex, a solar cell that eliminates the need for germanium substrates, which have been used in conventional multi-junction solar cells for the past three decades. The new product is aimed at mitigating rising costs and supply-chain bottlenecks in the space power sector.

IMM Apex achieves a beginning-of-life conversion efficiency of 31.5%, and its cell mass is 40% lower than that of traditional solar cells. It can be used as a direct replacement for established solar cell products, allowing customers to adopt it without substantial retooling or system redesign.

The technology is built on Rocket Lab's IMM cell technology, which powered NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter and has been incorporated into satellites for over a decade. The company reports that the underlying technology has undergone more than ten years of testing and qualification.

According to Brad Clevenger, President of Rocket Lab USA, the new cell "delivers exceptional performance while addressing real-world challenges like rising material costs and supply chain constraints."

Rocket Lab has provided space-grade solar technology to missions such as the James Webb Space Telescope and NASA's Artemis lunar exploration program. More than 1,100 satellites now in orbit are powered by Rocket Lab solar products.

The company said that optimised manufacturing processes and capital investments have allowed it to achieve production at multi-100-kilowatt volumes to meet demand. IMM Apex is now available for customer orders.

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