SMRTR Science & EngineeringApr 7, 2026Interesting Engineering

The optical engineering behind Star Catcher’s 1.1 kW test

SMRTR summary

Star Catcher Industries successfully demonstrated wireless power transmission by beaming over 1.1 kilowatts of laser energy to commercial solar panels at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, breaking DARPA's previous 800-watt record and proving that orbital power stations could "supercharge" satellites without hardware modifications. The breakthrough validates the concept of space-based solar power grids that could revolutionize spacecraft operations by separating power generation from payload mass.

SMRTR provides this summary for quick context. The original article belongs to Interesting Engineering.

Read the original article
SMRTR Science & Engineering

Get the next batch of curated summaries in your inbox.

This archive is built from SMRTR newsletter summaries. Subscribe for hand-picked stories without the extra noise.