Space-based US solar firm breaks world record for beaming wireless electricity

Star Catcher Industries, a US-based space solar power company, has set a new world record by wirelessly beaming 1.1 kW of power during tests at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, surpassing the previous 800 W record held by DARPA. Using off-the-shelf solar panels and an optical multi-spectrum laser system, Star Catcher’s technology transmits concentrated light beams to solar arrays, enabling efficient wireless power transfer. This approach differs from DARPA’s microwave-based method and aims to first enhance power supply to satellites in orbit before eventually beaming energy down to Earth. Space-based solar power, originally proposed in 1968 by aerospace engineer Peter Glaser, offers continuous electricity generation unaffected by weather or day-night cycles by placing solar collectors in space. Star Catcher envisions creating a resilient orbital power grid that collects and refines sunlight into optimized wavelengths for client spacecraft, potentially increasing their power output two to tenfold without requiring retrofits. The company plans an orbital demonstration next