Star Catcher, a Jacksonville-based startup, is preparing to launch a prototype system that will use lasers to transmit solar energy between two separate satellites in orbit. The mission, set to fly on a SpaceX rocket this week, will test whether the company's Protostar satellite can track and beam power to an untethered cubesat. If successful, it would mark the first time lasers have transferred energy between two unconnected objects in space.
The concept of space-based solar power is decades old, but falling launch costs have made it newly practical, according to the company and researchers cited by WIRED. Star Catcher's approach involves satellites that collect sunlight, convert it into laser wavelengths, and direct the beam to solar panels on other spacecraft. That could let satellite operators reduce onboard batteries and devote more mass to payloads like communications gear or GPUs for space data centers.
The company has already lined up significant commercial interest, including a $65 million funding round, a $30 million award from the US Space Force, and 10 long-term power purchase agreements. Google's first space-based data center experiment is also riding on the same rocket, underscoring broader momentum behind orbital infrastructure. However, the demonstration remains modest: a ground test last year delivered more than a kilowatt, enough to power a microwave, and a 2023 Naval Research Laboratory laser experiment operated at only 11 percent efficiency over a distance of less than five feet.
Researchers say challenges remain, including improving efficiency, tracking moving targets, and managing heat in the harsh environment of orbit. Star Catcher's chief executive, Andrew Rush, acknowledges the company is still in the "crawl" phase, but says the goal is to provide "meaningful commercial power provisioning services in orbit before the end of the decade."