Space Foundation Press Releases

Harnessing the sun's energy with space technology

Written by: Space Foundation Editorial Team

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Mar. 3, 2006) — The Space Foundation announced today that KACO Solar’s Blue Planet series of Grid-Tie Photovoltaic Inverters are officially recognized as a Certified Space Technology ™. Photovoltaic (PV) systems convert light energy into electrical energy and have been tied to the space program for decades.

The Hubble Space Telescope and nearly all communication satellites are powered by PV technology, allowing humanity to explore space and enabling everything from secure communications and GPS navigation to satellite television and radio entertainment. Solar generated electricity has been powering spacecraft since the launch of Vanguard I on Mar. 17, 1958. In 1997, PV cells located on top of Sojourner gave it the power to explore Mars.

“The Space Foundation is pleased to certify KACO Solar,” said Kevin Cook, director of Space Technology Awareness for the Space Foundation. “KACO’s technology captures free energy from the sun and provides maximum power outputs for an energy hungry world.”

Since the dawn of the space era, the world’s best engineers at NASA and other space agencies have been developing advanced technologies that fuel space exploration and also result in a number applications that improve life on Earth. The Space Certification Program, managed by the Space Foundation in cooperation with NASA, provides official recognition for qualified products and services incorporating those space technologies. For more information, visit www.SpaceConnection.org.

About KACO Solar, Incorporated

For more than 60 years, KACO Inverters have been setting the standard for customized power supplies and photovoltaic system solutions. KACO is committed to customer-oriented implementation of power-electronic tasks, especially in the field of Photovoltaics. For more information, visit www.kacosolar.com

About the Space Foundation

Founded in 1983 and headquartered in Colorado Springs, the Space Foundation is a national nonprofit organization that vigorously advances civil, commercial, and national security space endeavors and educational excellence. The Space Foundation has offices in Washington, D.C., and Cape Canaveral, Fla. The Space Foundation signature event, the National Space Symposium, is scheduled for April 3-6, 2006, at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo. Along with partnering organizations, the Space Foundation also conducts Inside Aerospace, April 24-25, 2006, in Washington, D.C.; Strategic Space, 10-12 Oct. 2006 in Omaha, Neb.; and Florida Space, Dec. 5-7, 2006, in Orlando, Fla. For more information, visit www.SpaceFoundation.org.


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