Star Catcher Is About to Beam Power Between Two Satellites for the First Time

What happened

Earlier today, the company launched a prototype designed to test the idea by transmitting power to another free-flying spacecraft for the first time. A Florida startup hopes to deliver it with lasers.

Ambitious plans for orbital data centers (a building full of computers that runs online services) and factories face a major problem—getting enough power. Satellites typically rely on solar panels and batteries for power, but strict weight budgets restrict how much hardware they can bring with them.

That’s becoming more of a problem as companies pursue power-hungry activities in space like AI and manufacturing . Florida-based Star Catcher thinks the solution is to set up an “orbital power grid” using satellites to gather solar energy, convert it into laser light, and beam it to other spacecraft.