Aerospace

Solidion Technology has announced a 'patented breakthrough' in extreme-climate battery technology and its strategic positioning within the rapidly expanding space and lunar economy. As commercial space activity accelerates, Solidion's Generation Extreme-Climate Battery (Gen-ECB) platform is engineered to deliver reliable, high-performance power storage for satellites, Low Earth Orbit (LEO)-based AI data centers, crewed spacecraft, and future lunar infrastructure.

Protected by multiple patents, Solidion's Gen-ECB harnesses the exceptional thermal conductivity and radiation resistance of graphene to actively regulate temperature within battery cells - rapidly dissipating heat to prevent thermal runaway and, when needed, drawing warmth from external sources such as solar panels to maintain stable operations in extreme cold. The result is a battery system proven to operate reliably from −80°C to +60°C, with ongoing development targeting even broader temperature ranges for deep-space missions.

The Graphene Flagship project GRAPHERGIA has launched the piloting phase of its three demonstration cases implementing graphene-based technologies for energy harvesting and storage in real-life applications.

The demonstrators' development began in March 2026 and aims to validate cutting-edge solutions in smart self-charging textiles and next-generation lithium-ion batteries for applications in healthcare, aerospace, mobility, and wearable electronics.

A recent  European Space Agency (ESA) parabolic flight has demonstrated that graphene aerogels can be efficiently propelled by laser light in microgravity, highlighting a promising route for fuel‑free space propulsion. In near‑weightlessness, ultralight graphene aerogel cubes (density around 0.01 g/cm³) accelerated “faster than a blink” when illuminated with a laser, while under normal Earth gravity the same samples showed only minimal motion.

During the microgravity phases, the aerogels travelled about 50 mm in a few hundredths of a second and reached peak velocities of around 1.7 m/s, with a short thrust pulse on the order of 0.6 mN. On the ground at 1 g, displacement was limited to roughly 15 mm, velocities stayed near 0.06 m/s, and the thrust dropped to only a few tens of µN. This clearly shows that gravity and surface friction had been hiding most of the material’s light‑driven performance in previous lab measurements.

India-based energy-tech startup Dreamfly Innovations has raised almost US$328,000 in non-dilutive venture debt from SIDBI. The proceeds will be used to support working capital and expand manufacturing capacity as the company scales operations.

Backed by Avaana Capital, Dreamfly Innovations designs and manufactures advanced smart battery systems for drones, aviation, and aerospace applications. The firm focuses on lithium solid-state and graphene-based batteries, built to deliver higher energy density, improved safety, and better thermal performance.

Lyten has announced the official launch of two products at the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Show: Lyten 3D Graphene™ enhanced 3D printing filament and a structural epoxy adhesive purpose built for high temperature applications in motorsports, defense and aerospace.

Lyten announced PA1205, a Lyten 3D Graphene - infused PA12-based 3D printing filament, alongside the 6120HT high-temperature structural epoxy adhesive. Both products are built on the company’s 3D Graphene platform, designed to increase stiffness, strength, and thermal tolerance of polymers and composites while reducing weight relative to metal or conventional reinforced systems.

Solidion Technology has announced that it is in the process of commercializing a pouch cell for specific use in industrial and military drones.

These pouch cells are said to have high power stability (a 9.5Ah pouch cell retains approximately 95% of capacity at 10c), which the Company says give sit a competitive edge, as most pouch cells on the market retain 78% of capacity at 5c, it claims.

Researchers from Beijing University of Technology, Harbin University and Peking University have developed a graphene-based metasurface designed for electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption in high-speed aerospace applications.

Modern aircraft require materials that combine low density, flexibility, high-temperature stability, and effective EMW attenuation. To address these requirements, the research team applied a subtractive laser patterning technique to graphene@silica fabric (G@SF) synthesized via chemical vapor deposition.

Volatus Aerospace, a Canadian company focused on aerial intelligence and unmanned aircraft systems, and VoltaXplore, a joint venture between Martinrea International and NanoXplore aimed at commercializing the production of graphene-enhanced lithium-ion batteries for the electric vehicle market, have announced the signing of a Letter of Intent for the future supply of Canadian-made lithium-ion battery cells to power Volatus’ next-generation drones.

This strategic agreement strengthens Volatus’ product differentiation and supply chain security while positioning both companies for growth across civil, defense, and Arctic surveillance markets. By securing a domestic source of advanced, silicon-dominant battery cells, Volatus strengthens domestic sourcing and supply management, enhances technological self-reliance, and aligns with anticipated federal investments in Canadian manufacturing capacity.

Cerebral Energy, a company that develops next-gen energy systems with advanced materials derived from US waste streams for the US Department of Defense and other federal agencies, has announced it has been selected by Space Development Agency (SDA) for a Phase II SBIR follow-on contract in the amount of $2 million to support further development of a new graphene based secondary battery derived from recycled US waste streams. 

The technology was originally designed and prototyped by NASA scientists and is being commercialized by Cerebral Energy to support improved satellite power in SDA’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA). The novel graphene solid state battery architecture previously achieved over 500 W/h Kg energy density in lab prototypes. Cerebral’s graphene battery is over 3X more efficient than conventional lithium-ion batteries, much safer (no fire risk), up to 100X faster charging and has no supply chain challenges since the materials are derived from abundant US waste streams. Cerebral will be examining scalable additive manufacturing techniques for SDA in the Phase II project with additional support by AFWERX and AFRL.

U.S-based Ascent Solar Technologies, focused on the design and manufacturing of lightweight, flexible thin-film photovoltaic (PV) solutions, has announced the signing of a teaming agreement with Emtel Energy USA, a provider of graphene-based electrostatic long duration energy storage (ELDES). 

The agreement is intended to achieve mutually beneficial goals that would advance Emtel Energy’s energy storage capabilities and aid the proliferation of thin-film PV solutions in space environments.