Ascent Solar Technologies, a Thornton, Colorado-based manufacturer of flexible thin-film photovoltaic solutions, has developed a rapid delivery process for Plug & Fly space solar assemblies. According to Ascent Solar, the mission-optimized solar array blanket units are designed with commercial-off-the-shelf and heritage CIGS technology for specific mission requirements. These assemblies have incorporated lighter and thinner space-rated laminates, which have enabled higher power generation and compact storage within spacecraft constraints. The NASA TRL9-derived manufacturing process was refined over more than a decade to support faster production and delivery timelines. Ascent Solar has stated that a recent order for a CIGS PV module and array for a satellite bus was completed in 20 days. The 5 MW vertically integrated production facility in Thornton is capable of producing thousands of smallsat hardware units weekly. Earlier this year, Ascent Solar entered an agreement with a Colorado-based space solar array provider to supply its lightweight, flexible thin-film PV technology for evaluation and potential integration.