SoMo Research in progress

Lunar solar technology · A project by JPM Silicon

We deliver solar power for space exploration.

Researching pathways to produce silicon layers for solar cells from locally available lunar regolith.

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Explore the project
Illustration of a solar-powered European lunar base A lunar landscape with a solar field, a three-step production line that turns regolith into glass and then into a silicon layer for solar cells, and a European base with habitat domes, a greenhouse and a landing pad with a cargo lander. Two astronauts work outside. Earth and satellites are visible in the sky. Solar field 1 Regolith 2 Glass European lunar base 3 Silicon layer Solar cells Space debris as resource
  1. Regolith in

    Lunar soil is collected and fed into the line.

  2. Melted into glass

    The regolith is melted into glass, for example by laser or solar furnace.

  3. Silicon layer on the glass

    In a further thermal step, a silicon layer forms directly on the glass: the starting point for a thin-film solar cell.

No detour via pure silicon: the regolith glass is substrate and raw material at once.

The SoMo project

Solar cells made from what the Moon already has.

With SoMo, we research how to manufacture solar cells from lunar regolith and space debris. Instead of launching every panel from Earth, energy infrastructure is built from raw materials that are already where the power is needed.

This makes the Moon a viable base for further exploration and creates a blueprint for energy supply on other planets — a building block for an interplanetary society.

Progress

  1. Achieved Silicon layer on glass

    We have shown that our process forms a silicon layer directly on glass. The transfer to regolith glass is underway.

  2. 2027 First solar cell

    Next, this silicon layer becomes a first working solar cell.

  3. Outlook Power beyond Earth

    Local, scalable energy supply for lunar bases, and later for other planets.

The bigger picture

The Moon is becoming a place to stay.

Space agencies in the US and Europe are preparing for a sustained presence on the Moon and for living off local resources. SoMo addresses one of the key questions: where the power will come from.

SoMo is not affiliated with the programs listed.

Coming soon

From space to lab.

Soon we will take you into the lab: how a silicon layer forms on glass, why we skip the detour via pure silicon, and our first results. Stay tuned

Partners & funding

SoMo is developed by JPM Silicon together with the Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics at TU Berlin and funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space.