Star Catcher to Test Space-Based Laser Power Transmission on Upcoming SpaceX Flight

Star Catcher, a Jacksonville-based venture, is set to fly a prototype power-node system aboard a SpaceX rocket, where it will transmit laser-generated electricity to an untethered cubesat launched simultaneously. The system uses lenses to focus sunlight, converts it to a laser wavelength that the company claims can yield up to ten times the power of diffuse sunlight, and directs the beam like a virtual power line. If the test succeeds, it will be the first instance of laser-based energy transfer between two free-flying objects in space, a step toward powering future orbital data centers and other satellite services.

The firm recently raised $65 million, received a $30 million US Space Force award, and signed dozens of letters of intent and ten power-purchase agreements. Google’s prototype space-based data center, dubbed Protostar, will also ride the same launch, underscoring commercial interest. Prior ground experiments delivered more than 1 kilowatt to off-the-shelf solar panels, and the company cites a 2023 Naval Research Laboratory laser test as a precedent, though that effort achieved only 11 percent efficiency over a short distance. Challenges such as tracking accuracy, thermal management and long-term durability in vacuum remain to be solved.