The Pentagon awarded $7.1 million to Martin Materials Solutions under the Defense Production Act to expand U.S. manufacturing of cover glass for satellite solar cells. Cover glass is a specialized radiation-resistant material that protects photovoltaic cells on spacecraft, filtering damaging light and shielding against radiation and micrometeorites. The investment reflects Pentagon concern about supply vulnerabilities in components needed for military and commercial spacecraft, with Martin Materials being one of a limited number of U.S.-based companies supplying this material.
The funding will establish and scale production at Martin Materials' facility in Twinsburg, Ohio. The award comes under Title III of the Defense Production Act, which allows direct federal investment in domestic production capacity for materials deemed essential to national defense. The company also produces thermal-control mirror glass for satellites, and the expansion appears aimed at reducing reliance on a constrained group of domestic and foreign suppliers.