Emcore Corp.’s Photovoltaics Division has been awarded a contract by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to manufacture solar panels for the Mars Cruise Stage spacecraft, the company announced April 27.

The panels and solar cells, scheduled to be delivered in mid 2008, will be manufactured at Emcore’s facilities in Albuquerque, N.M. The mission, which will carry the Mars Science Laboratory rover, is scheduled for launch in fall 2009.