Space is facing an energy crisis, at least according to a Florida-based startup that\u2019s set out to solve it by creating a network of spacecraft designed to beam power to satellites through lasers.<\/p>\n
Star Catcher is gearing up for the launch of its prototype satellite, dubbed Protostar, to test its technology in space for the first time. Protostar will launch on board SpaceX\u2019s Transporter-18 mission no earlier than Thursday and attempt to transmit energy to another satellite in orbit.<\/p>\n
If successful, this would mark the first time lasers have been used to beam energy between two untethered spacecraft in orbit. \u201cThis mission will yield critical operational data in real-world orbital conditions that will directly support the build out of our commercial power grid in space,\u201d Michael Snyder, co-founder and CTO of Star Catcher, said in a statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n Power on <\/p>\n Star Catcher was founded in 2024 with the aim of building a power grid in space to help support the growing orbital economy. According to the company, satellites can\u2019t generate enough power on their own to keep up with the growing demand of modern space missions like providing direct-to-cell connectivity, AI-powered Earth observations, and agile maneuvering for defense applications.<\/p>\n With its space-based power grid, Star Catcher aims to use its network of spacecraft to collect sunlight in orbit and convert it to wavelengths that can be transmitted to solar panels attached to satellites. The array of so-called power nodes gathers sunlight using a collection of lenses and refines it to optimized wavelengths that the company claims can provide up to two to 10 times more power.<\/p>\n