US Space Company Breaks World Record in Wireless Power Transmission

Space-based energy firm Star Catcher has set a new record for long-distance electricity transmission. The company successfully managed to beam 1.1 kW of power using an optical laser system.

Star Catcher Industries has achieved a new milestone in transferring electricity over long distances. During tests conducted with the company’s Star Catcher Network system, 1.1 kW of energy was successfully beamed. Moreover, this success was achieved using standard solar panel components that are easily available in the market. Thus, Star Catcher has surpassed the previous record held by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The company states that the tests, conducted at the NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida, could pave the way for obtaining unlimited solar energy.

The Idea of Sending Energy from Space

The concept of space-based solar energy was first proposed in 1968 by Peter Glaser, a Czechoslovakian-born American scientist and aerospace engineer. Glaser suggested placing giant solar panels in space and transmitting the generated energy to Earth via microwave beams. Unlike solar farms on Earth, weather conditions do not pose an obstacle with this method, and since satellites can be placed in orbits that constantly face the sun, 24/7 energy production becomes possible.

In Star Catcher’s record-breaking recent trial, an optical power beam was sent to commercial-type solar panels. While China is conducting trials with large-scale energy receiver towers, DARPA is continuing similar projects. The agency held the previous record with an 800 W transmission conducted in June 2025. Star Catcher uses technology similar to DARPA’s. Instead of generating microwaves, a multi-spectral powerful laser powered by energy taken from solar panels is used. In other words, a concentrated beam of light is sent to another solar panel array, and the panel converts this light into electricity.

Future Applications

Star Catcher aims to use this technology primarily to fast charge other satellites in space and subsequently to send power to Earth. This method can also be used to provide power to orbital data centers and in-orbit manufacturing satellites.

According to the company, the Star Catcher Network collects and concentrates sunlight in space, converts this light into wavelengths suitable for satellite panels, and transmits it wirelessly to target satellites. Thus, it becomes possible for satellites to access 2 to 10 times more power instantly without the need for any hardware changes.

The company used several different solar panel designs in its latest test. while this test was carried out on the ground, Star Catcher aims to perform an orbital test next year.

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