Florida-based startup Star Catcher Industries has managed to break the world record for beamed electricity using a high-power laser. Using its proprietary Star Catcher Network technology, it was able to beam 1.1kW of power to commercial, off-the-shelf solar panels, showcasing the potential of its wireless power transmission technology. This opens the door to in-orbit testing in 2026, before a full constellation deployment can begin in 2027.
The idea behind Star Catcher Industries’ design is to deploy solar panel arrays in space that can store and beam electricity to other satellites using multi-spectrum lasers. DARPA has tried something similar using microwaves, but Star Catcher’s laser design could be more straightforward, and it’s already broken DARPA’s record.
Since Star Catcher’s designs would be built solely to generate power, it could focus on that and use larger panel arrays to produce much more energy than the average spacecraft. As needed, that energy could then be distributed to other satellites, which in turn may not need to fly with such large solar panel arrays themselves, improving their efficiency, cutting launch costs, and potentially expanding their capabilities dramatically.
“Space has waited decades for its energy revolution,” said Howard Morgan, chair and general partner of the investment fund B Capital. “Star Catcher just delivered it.”
Credit: Star Catcher Industries
Such power generation and transmission systems could unlock in-space manufacturing and fabrication, provide a backup power source for any satellites and spacecraft that suffer damage to their own generation capabilities, and kickstart a new industry of power generation in space.
Star Catcher is about ready to begin commercializing its plans. With the success of this proof-of-concept, it can now move to developing its orbital constellation, with early tests planned for next year.
“Our existing Power Purchase Agreements confirm that the market understands both the value and scalability of our technology to revolutionize power delivery beyond Earth,” said Andrew Rush, CEO and cofounder of Star Catcher. “These real-world results offer definitive proof of the soundness and maturity of our approach to building a resilient orbital power grid.”