Armstrong believes there is hope for the overall state of innovation in aerospace, particularly as emerging markets such as “near space” and high-altitude long-endurance UAVs continue to push the limits of technology. Ascent's thin-film PVs will, for example, equip a solar-powered tactical UAV under development by Silent Falcon UAS Technologies and Bye Aerospace. However, aside from the ever-present constraint of funding, the major impediment he sees is “resources in general, and not having enough people.”

The other key challenge remains getting companies to recognize the innovation itself. “Part of the challenge of being a unique animal like us is that you are asking people to think outside of the box. Maybe it's a solution looking for a problem, but the innovators are out there—people in the field, or in offices. It's not a challenge to get them interested; it's more of a challenge to get them to see how they can use it.”

The issue is a tougher nut to crack in the current risk-averse environment, but the answer may be simple in the end, says Armstrong: “We have to be able to demonstrate a product that's better than what is already out there.”