From lab to orbit: Solestial's takeoff from research to startup
Image courtesy of Solestial
In 2026, Bulgarian satellite company EnduroSat AD is slated to launch its most advanced satellites yet — and the technology powering them was born at Arizona State University.
Solestial is providing EnduroSat with affordable, radiation-hardened silicon solar modules. The company, started by former ASU affiliates Stan Herasimenka and Mikhail Reginevich, hopes to revolutionize energy output in space. What started out as a two-man operation has now received over $29 million in investment from Mitsubishi Electric’s ME Innovation Fund and contracts from industry leader SpaceWERX, among many others.
From PhD student to co-founder
Herasimenka joined the ASU Solar program in 2008 to complete his PhD in electrical and electronics engineering with a focus on the development of thin silicon solar cells. During Herasimenka’s postdoctoral studies, plans for several large satellites were announced in 2018. It became clear that there was a major gap between the demand for solar power in space and the available supply of space-grade solar cells, leading him to focus entirely on developing solar technology designed specifically for space.
Terrestrial solar cells cannot be used in space because they cannot tolerate extreme temperature fluctuations, solar flares and radiation exposure. Spacecraft and satellites also require much more energy to be operational than just a battery can sustain.
“We need to improve the technology such that solar cells in space degrade at least at the same rate as they degrade on the ground. That's what Solestial is trying to do,” Herasimenka said.
However, he faced the challenge of using his research to create a viable impact. After taking an elective business course at ASU, Herasimenka realized the potential of starting a business — but had no idea where to start.
Drawing up the blueprints of success
Reginevich and Herasimenka started Solestial while working at ASU. In the early days of the company, both utilized resources at the Engineering Research Center, a special ASU facility funded by the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy, which gave them a key foundation to begin their work.
“As a postdoctoral student, I really was looking at business in a way to attract some research and development funding. But, of course, once you have technology developed, you do want to commercialize it, which is something academia or national labs don't solve,” Herasimenka said.
In addition, ASU supported the company’s growth through various programs. When Solestial was developing its solar cells, the company relied heavily on ASU’s Core Research Facilities and MacroTechnology Works, renting out the space to develop prototypes before establishing a manufacturing plant. QESST (Quantum Energy and Sustainable Solar Technologies) and Skysong Innovations connected Herasimenka with mentors, collaborators and funding opportunities, supporting both research and business development.
“The university’s resources and support were instrumental in helping us transition from research to a thriving space technology company. Those collaborations laid the foundation for what eventually became Solestial,” Herasimenka said.
Launching the future of Solestial
The growing company now has its own manufacturing facility in Tempe and is scaling up its manufacturing operations.
“So you have very thin solar cells, and very thin modules, so that's great. But how do you mass-produce it? How do you make sure the wafers don't break? How do we make the solar cells and margins mass-producible? That's something we're solving at this particular moment,” Herasimenka said.
Though Solestial moved out of ASU in 2023, he says it remains tied to the university.
“I think a lot of our employees right now have graduated from ASU, with my PhD advisor now working with us full time. ASU is a big resource for the engineering workforce, and we are always looking at hiring people with an ASU degree.”
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