Chinese satellite PV developer Xingyi Xinneng (Shangyi Optoelectronics), which operates under the SUNY brand and is backed by Drinda Corporation, has started in-orbit validation for its new flexible encapsulation material designed for space photovoltaic applications. The material is said to be based on a CPI (colorless polyimide) film tailored for lightweight, flexible solar array structures.
The CPI encapsulation test structures were launched on May 15, 2026, on board the “Youxi” (Tianyan‑27) satellite, one of five satellites carried to space by a Lijian‑1 (Y13) solid-fueled rocket from the Jiuquan/Dongfeng commercial space launch site in China. Official Chinese launch reports state that the mission inserted the payloads into a sun‑synchronous orbit, providing suitable conditions for continuous solar exposure and long-term environmental testing.
SUNY’s CPI encapsulation is aimed at flexible solar wings and other lightweight space PV systems, where low mass and high durability are critical. The company reports that the ultra‑thin film has a thickness on the order of 20 micrometers and an areal density below 30 grams per square meter, metrics that would place it among the lighter encapsulation options proposed for next-generation space solar arrays.
For the current mission phase, the CPI film is being evaluated in combination with flexible heterojunction (HJT) silicon solar cells, which are encapsulated and exposed on orbit. SUNY states that the experiment is designed to assess performance and durability under space radiation, atomic oxygen erosion, temperature cycling, and energetic particle exposure, all of which are known to pose significant challenges for polymer-based encapsulants and flexible PV devices.
Looking ahead, SUNY reports that it plans to extend its space validation efforts to integrated perovskite + CPI devices, combining perovskite solar cells with the same flexible encapsulation platform. The company’s current roadmap targets in-orbit validation of these integrated perovskite–CPI products in the third quarter of 2026, positioning the effort within a broader global push to demonstrate stable, high–specific-power perovskite photovoltaics in space.
