China Beams 1,180 Watts Wirelessly Over 100 Meters in Space

Imagine charging your devices without any cords or plugs, except the power travels the length of a football field through thin air. Chinese researchers just made that future a little closer by beaming 1,180 watts of electricity wirelessly across more than 100 meters.

The team, led by engineer Duan Baoyan, achieved this milestone as part of China's "Zhuri" or "Chasing the Sun" project. Their goal is ambitious: build solar power stations in space that can beam energy back to Earth or to satellites orbiting above.

The system they developed works like a microwave "charging station" floating in orbit. Instead of satellites carrying heavy solar panels, they could receive power beamed directly from a space station using advanced microwave transmission technology.

In tests on the ground, the system achieved a 20.8% efficiency rate in converting and transmitting direct current power. That might sound modest, but it's a significant step forward for wireless energy over long distances.

The team also tested their technology on a moving target. They successfully delivered 143 watts of stable power to a drone flying 30 kilometers per hour at a distance of 30 meters, proving the system can track and power objects in motion.

The Ripple Effect

This breakthrough could transform how we power spacecraft. Right now, satellites depend entirely on their own solar panels, which are bulky, heavy, and eventually degrade. A space-based power station could continuously charge multiple satellites at once, extending their lifespans and reducing launch costs.

The technology uses what researchers call a "distributed Omega architecture," which sounds complex but solves a simple problem: how to send power to multiple moving targets simultaneously. One transmitter can now power several spacecraft at once, like a wireless router for electricity.

The team also made the transmitting and receiving antennas smaller, lighter, and more efficient. These improvements in miniaturization are crucial for eventually launching the technology into orbit, where every gram of weight matters.

Beyond satellites, this technology hints at a future where clean solar energy collected in space, where the sun always shines, could be beamed down to Earth. Space solar panels can capture energy 24 hours a day without weather or nighttime interruptions.

The researchers report significant improvements in how well their system concentrates solar energy and converts it to electricity. With a beam collection efficiency of 88%, very little of the transmitted power gets lost along the way.

China's progress puts space-based solar power closer to reality than ever before.