Toray Advanced Composites, a global leader in high-performance composite materials, has announced the signing of a long-term supply agreement (LTA) with Airborne Aerospace B.V. to provide advanced composite materials for the production of solar array substrates supporting mega-constellation satellite programs.
Under this agreement, Toray's space-qualified epoxy-based, carbon fibre-reinforced materials will be manufactured at the company's European Centre of Excellence for thermoset systems in Langley Mill, UK. The materials will be used by Airborne to produce solar array substrates and yoke panels designed to meet the demands of large-scale satellite deployments.
Produced with precise tolerances on fibre areal weight, resin content, and slit width, Toray's high-performance materials will be supplied in 6-inch (15 cm) uni-directional prepreg tape. This format enables efficient high-volume production using Airborne's robotic Automated Tape Laying (ATL) technology, specifically developed for space applications requiring reliability and scalability.
"With over 40 years of space-flight heritage, Toray is proud to support the next generation of LEO satellite constellations with our flight-proven material systems," said Claire Baker, Development Lead, Space & Comms at Toray Advanced Composites. "Our lightweight composites offer the ideal combination of high stiffness, excellent toughness, and low outgassing, making them perfectly suited for demanding space environments and automated manufacturing."
Sandor Woldendorp, Director Aerospace at Airborne, commented: "This LTA is the result of many years of close collaboration between Toray and Airborne on the development and manufacturing of spacecraft structures. Our companies share a vision on making composites affordable and scalable for new space."
This partnership highlights how proven composite material systems combined with robotic automation are redefining how next-generation satellite infrastructure is designed and produced, paving the way for broader global access to space.
Source: www.toraytac.com
