Gallium Arsenide (GaAs): The Unreplaceable Energy Cornerstone of Commercial Aerospace in the Next 3-5 Years

Introduction: Core Demands of Space Photovoltaics Determine GaAs' Short-Term Irreplaceability

With the rapid boom of the low Earth orbit (LEO) economy, commercial aerospace and space computing power, space energy has evolved from a supporting component to a core strategic asset that dictates the success or failure of missions. While diverse photovoltaic technology routes are emerging, with new technologies such as perovskite and heterojunction technology (HJT) continuously breaking efficiency limits, gallium arsenide (GaAs) multi-junction solar cells remain the irreplaceable optimal solution for aerospace missions demanding high reliability, long service life and zero fault tolerance. This core advantage stems from their unrivaled reliability and adaptability that cannot be replicated by other alternatives.

Core Advantage 1: Ultimate Reliability, Aligning with the Fundamental Demands of Space Missions

The core competitiveness of GaAs lies in its alignment with the fundamental demands of space missions—high launch costs, on-orbit non-maintainability and enormous failure costs. For both national major projects and high-value commercial aerospace missions, reliability is the top priority. As a III-V direct bandgap semiconductor, GaAs features a stable crystal lattice and its radiation resistance is 5 to 10 times that of crystalline silicon. After irradiation by 1MeV electrons, its efficiency retention rate exceeds 90%, with an annual attenuation of only 0.3% to 0.5%, enabling an on-orbit service life of 15 to 20 years. This perfectly caters to the long-life mission requirements of geosynchronous orbit (GEO), deep space and other missions.

Moreover, GaAs can operate stably under extreme temperature variations ranging from -170℃ to +120℃, with a temperature coefficient far superior to crystalline silicon, making it adaptable to the extreme space environments such as vacuum and atomic oxygen. More crucially, GaAs has achieved full-chain localization from substrate to system, boasting an independently controllable supply chain and over 60 years of on-orbit verification data, which has formed a mature reliability system—an advantage that other new technologies cannot match in the next 3-5 years.

Core Advantage 2: Commercial Adaptability, Underpinning and Boosting Aerospace Investments

From the perspective of commercial aerospace logic, the high efficiency of GaAs can maximize the utilization of the limited on-satellite area and reduce launch costs; its long service life can extend the satellite operation cycle and improve return on investment (ROI); and its mature aerospace certification can shorten project cycles and lower R&D risks. Coupled with breakthroughs in flexible technology, ultra-thin flexible GaAs is adaptable to the large-scale deployment of LEO constellations, further expanding its application scenarios.

Route Comparison: Highlighting GaAs' Irreplaceability

Compared with silicon-based, perovskite and other technology routes, GaAs' advantages are far more irreplaceable. Silicon-based routes have weak radiation resistance and short service life, making them only suitable for low-cost, short-life missions; although perovskite has great potential, its on-orbit stability and aerospace certification are still in the research and development stage, and it cannot be adapted to high-value missions in the short term. Only GaAs can simultaneously meet the core demands of high efficiency, long service life, strong radiation resistance and full environmental adaptability.

Testing Assurance: Aijiang Technology Fortifies the Quality Line for GaAs

Notably, the high reliability of GaAs cannot be achieved without the support of professional testing equipment. Aijiang Technology has deeply cultivated the space photovoltaic testing track, and its core equipment provides a strong guarantee for the GaAs industry. The ultra-large format AM0 solar simulator ASC42A (3020) far exceeds the national AAA standard, which can perfectly replicate the space solar spectrum, support one-stop testing of large-size GaAs solar arrays, break foreign monopolies, achieve a localization rate of over 90% and be included in the provincial innovative product catalog.

Another core product, the GaAs solar cell IV tester ASS41-0101, strictly complies with aerospace standards. It can accurately measure the core electrical performance parameters of solar cells and capture subtle performance changes, thus avoiding mission risks from the source. With its full-chain independent R&D capabilities, Aijiang Technology has built a solid testing defense line for GaAs with these two core pieces of equipment, boosting the localization breakthrough of commercial aerospace and national space missions, and providing a strong guarantee for the application of GaAs in the field of space photovoltaics.