The 8U Solar Panel is a body-mounted CubeSat solar panel that supplies dependable satellite solar power for 8U-class missions. Twenty space-grade triple-junction photovoltaic cells generate up to 24 W of peak power in LEO, with cell efficiency above 30% at beginning of life and better than 29% at end of life – a radiation-resistant design intended to sustain output across a five-year mission. Internal bypass diodes guard every cell against reverse bias, and the 545 g panel keeps the spacecraft mass budget lean.

Beyond raw power generation, the panel doubles as a sensing surface: up to four integrated photodiodes provide coarse sun vector data, an accessible remove-before-flight (RBF) inhibition mechanism eases ground operations, and optional sun sensors, thermal sensors, and a gyroscope can be added to support attitude knowledge and power optimization. Multiple panels connect in parallel for custom power needs, and additional options — an external magnetorquer connector, a low-power MCU, and up to three temperature sensors – allow the configuration to match each mission's electrical power system. Each space-qualified unit ships with a complete user manual and an hour of engineering support.