Space exploration is entering a new era. With missions like Artemis bringing humans back to the Moon and preparing journeys beyond, space is no longer a distant ambition but a fast-approaching reality. While rockets and launch vehicles often take center stage, successful missions also rely on advanced materials, precision engineering, and deep scientific expertise. Within this complex system, germanium plays an enabling role in the solar power systems used across modern spacecraft.
“Space exploration is about much more than rocket science,” says Pieter at Electro-Optic Materials. “Advanced materials and precision engineering are essential to every mission. At Umicore, our decades of expertise in germanium technologies contribute to space exploration, from supporting solar power generation on spacecraft, to enabling highly precise gamma‑ray detection used in planetary missions such as the Mars Rover.”
Powering missions beyond Earth
Every space mission depends on highly reliable energy systems. As spacecraft travel vast distances, solar energy often is the primary source of power, supporting navigation systems, communications, and in some cases electric propulsion.
Umicore’s germanium-based substrates contribute to this energy chain through advanced multi‑junction solar cell technology. These solar cells are built from multiple semiconductor layers, each designed to convert a different part of the solar spectrum into electricity, significantly increasing overall efficiency. Germanium is the preferred substrate as it offers high strength at minimal thickness with excellent resistance to cosmic radiation, while also actively contributing to the cell’s performance. As a result, triple‑junction solar cells on germanium deliver outstanding lifetime efficiency for a given weight and size, a critical factor in space applications. “In space, energy efficiency is everything,” explains Pieter. “You need maximum power from minimal weight, and you need it to last for years.”
These technologies have already proven their value in real-world missions. During the first Artemis missions in 2022, the Orion spacecraft relied on high-efficiency multi-junction solar cells based on III-V semiconductors grown on germanium substrates to power the spacecraft systems throughout its journey to and from the Moon. Similar systems are also used across satellites, space stations, and deep-space missions, where they must withstand intense radiation, extreme temperature fluctuations, and the mechanical stress of launch.
When every kilogram matters, germanium-based solar cells offer the best lifetime performance for their weight. That advantage makes a real difference in space.
Engineering performance at the atomic level
These technologies depend on exceptional material quality, and producing ultra-pure germanium is a complex, multi-step process combining metallurgy, chemistry, and advanced crystal growth. Using refined Czochralski methods, Umicore produces large, defect-free crystals and controls the full value chain from refining and crystal growth to wafer production to ensure consistent performance.
Umicore also collaborates with partners across the global space ecosystem, supplying materials for satellite communication, deep-space exploration, and physics research. Circularity remains central to its approach: more than half of the germanium it processes comes from recycling, turning scrap and end-of-life materials back into ultra-high-purity germanium and strengthening supply resilience.
From Earth to the edge of the universe
Germanium is one part of the vast machinery of space exploration, but its impact is profound. From powering spacecraft like Orion or the Mars Rover through solar power, to enabling precise gamma‑ray measurements that expand our knowledge of the cosmos, high‑performance germanium materials help turn ambitious missions into scientific insight.
As humanity prepares for its next giant leap, returning to the Moon, building permanent space infrastructure, and eventually reaching Mars, advanced materials will remain at the core of every mission. “At Umicore, we are proud to help turn scientific ambition into reality.”
