In 2026, EnduroSat AD, a Bulgarian satellite company, is set to launch its most advanced satellites using technology developed at Arizona State University (ASU). Solestial, founded by former ASU affiliates Stan Herasimenka and Mikhail Reginevich, will supply affordable, radiation-hardened silicon solar modules for the mission. The startup has attracted more than $29 million in investment from Mitsubishi Electric’s ME Innovation Fund and secured contracts with industry leaders such as SpaceWERX.
Stan Herasimenka began his journey at ASU in 2008 as a PhD student focusing on thin silicon solar cells. He identified a gap between the demand for solar power in space and the available supply of space-grade solar cells after several large satellite projects were announced in 2018. This realization led him to dedicate his research to developing solar technology specifically for space environments.
“Terrestrial solar cells cannot be used in space because they cannot tolerate extreme temperature fluctuations, solar flares and radiation exposure. Spacecraft and satellites also require much more energy to be operational than just a battery can sustain,” Herasimenka explained.
He added, “We need to improve the technology such that solar cells in space degrade at least at the same rate as they degrade on the ground. That’s what Solestial is trying to do.”
Despite his technical expertise, Herasimenka faced challenges transitioning his research into commercial impact. An elective business course at ASU highlighted the potential of entrepreneurship but left him uncertain about how to proceed.
Herasimenka and Reginevich started Solestial while working at ASU. They made use of resources at the Engineering Research Center—a facility funded by the National Science Foundation and Department of Energy—which provided an important foundation for their work.
“As a postdoctoral student, I really was looking at business in a way to attract some research and development funding. But, of course, once you have technology developed, you do want to commercialize it, which is something academia or national labs don’t solve,” said Herasimenka.
ASU further supported Solestial through programs like Core Research Facilities and MacroTechnology Works. These facilities allowed them to develop prototypes before establishing their own manufacturing plant. QESST (Quantum Energy and Sustainable Solar Technologies) and Skysong Innovations connected Herasimenka with mentors, collaborators, and funding opportunities essential for both research and business growth.
“The university’s resources and support were instrumental in helping us transition from research to a thriving space technology company. Those collaborations laid the foundation for what eventually became Solestial,” he said.
Now based in Tempe with its own manufacturing facility, Solestial is scaling up production operations. Addressing ongoing technical challenges related to mass production remains a priority.
“So you have very thin solar cells, and very thin modules, so that’s great. But how do you mass-produce it? How do you make sure the wafers don’t break? How do we make the solar cells and margins mass-producible? That’s something we’re solving at this particular moment,” Herasimenka stated.
Although Solestial moved out of ASU in 2023, ties remain strong between the company and the university workforce.
“I think a lot of our employees right now have graduated from ASU, with my PhD advisor now working with us full time. ASU is a big resource for the engineering workforce, and we are always looking at hiring people with an ASU degree.”
ASU’s role as an innovation leader has been recognized nationally; it was named number one in innovation for eight consecutive years by U.S. News & World Report according to https://news.asu.edu/20220911-university-news-asu-no-1-innovation-us-news-world-report-eighth-year?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=asu&utm_campaign=ASURankings&utm_term=USNWR.
