Starpath Bets On Mass-Produced, Space-Rated Solar Aria Alamalhodaei
Starpath bets on mass-produced, space-rated solar Aria Alamalhodaei with a bold strategy: make satellite power dramatically cheaper. The startup’s CEO, Saurav Shroff, believes America’s space ambitions are being held back by sky-high costs and limited vision. His answer? Affordable, high-performance solar panels built for space.
Image Credits:Starpath
Starpath’s New “Starlight” Solar Panels
On September 25, Starpath officially launched sales of its new space-rated solar panel line in the U.S. The panels, called “Starlight,” come with a disruptive pitch: pricing that’s nearly 90% lower than industry norms.
Most satellite solar panels cost between $75–250 per watt. Starpath’s Starlight panels slash that to just $9.81 per watt for its engineering model and $11.20 per watt for the flight-ready version. That’s about 10 times cheaper than today’s options, making access to space power more realistic for startups and established players alike.
Two Models, Two Use Cases
Starpath is offering two product tiers to serve different needs:
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Engineering Model – Priced at $9.81 per watt, ships starting mid-October. It’s not flight-rated but ideal for prototyping, lab work, and pre-launch satellite builds.
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Flight Model – Priced at $11.20 per watt, built for in-orbit use. Shipping begins in Q4 2025.
This tiered approach gives satellite developers flexibility depending on where they are in their design and launch cycles.
How Starpath Cuts Costs
The breakthrough comes from Starpath’s decision to design and operate its own automated production line. While details of the process remain private, the company says it enables massive throughput gains. By next year, Starpath projects its line could outpace the combined output of competitors worldwide.
This manufacturing edge is central to Starpath’s mission: lowering the barriers to entry for space companies while scaling solar production to unprecedented levels.
Why This Matters For The Space Industry
If successful, Starpath’s mass-produced solar panels could change the economics of building satellites and other spacecraft. Ultra-low-cost space power may unlock more ambitious projects, from larger constellations to deep-space exploration.
As Shroff puts it, the U.S. is “one order of magnitude high on cost and one order of magnitude low on ambition.” Starpath is betting its technology can flip that equation.
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