Pentagon Backs Ambitious Plan to Beam Solar Power From Space

The U.S. Department of Defense has contracted Overview Energy to develop a homing beacon intended to guide power beamed from orbital solar collectors to ground-based receiving arrays. The beacon is part of a broader space-based solar power concept in which photovoltaic panels in orbit gather uninterrupted sunlight and transmit electricity to Earth via lasers or microwave beams.

Advocates say orbiting solar arrays would avoid two major limits on terrestrial solar: daily intermittency and large land footprints. Because satellites above Earth can collect sunlight continuously, they could produce energy around the clock and, proponents argue, dispatch power to specific locations as needed. Overview Energy has stated plans for an initial technology demonstration in 2028 and to begin deployment of a geosynchronous satellite constellation around 2030.

Overview has already attracted private-sector interest: earlier this year the company signed an agreement to supply up to 1 gigawatt of space-derived solar power to Meta. Department of Defense interest reflects a particular operational use case for the technology, notably providing power to remote military installations where dependable, on-demand electricity is valuable.

Experts differ on feasibility and economics. Overviews co-CEO Darko Filipi has emphasized the importance of precise space-to-ground connectivity for warfighters, while critics such as Amory Lovins have questioned whether the economics will make space solar competitive with other dispatchable clean sources like nuclear or geothermal. The complete end-to-end space-to-ground system has not yet been demonstrated from orbit, so technical and cost outcomes remain to be proven.