Katalyst wins US contract for orbital power-beaming demonstration

(SpaceEnergy) Katalyst Space has been selected for a US government programme to develop and launch a spacecraft that will assemble a solar power-beaming system in low Earth orbit and transmit energy to Earth.

The US Operational Energy Capability Improvement Fund selected Katalyst for the Advanced Scalable Growth Architecture for Robotic Deployment, or ASGARD, programme.

Katalyst said its NEXUS robotic spacecraft will launch with modular tiles being developed by the US Naval Research Laboratory under OECIF funding. NEXUS will use robotic arms to assemble the tiles in orbit into a large-format power-beaming system.

The NRL-designed tiles are intended to collect solar energy, convert it directly into radio-frequency microwave energy and transmit the power to Earth.

Katalyst said assembling the structure in orbit is intended to overcome launch-vehicle volume constraints that limit the size of power-beaming systems delivered as a single payload.

The company did not disclose the contract value or a launch date.

Katalyst chief executive Ghonhee Lee said the system was designed to be resupplied, expanded and scaled over time, adding: “We envision a future where this capability grows from kilowatts to megawatts, providing resilient power at scale.”

The company said the demonstration would be one of the largest tests of on-orbit assembly and operation of power-beaming infrastructure.