In a significant leap for extraterrestrial energy infrastructure, a research team led by Duan Baoyan of the Chinese Academy of Engineering has announced major progress in the "Zhuri" (Chasing the Sun) project. The initiative focuses on developing advanced technologies for space-based solar power stations and the wireless transmission of energy via microwaves.
The team has successfully developed a ground verification system capable of multi-target microwave wireless energy transmission. In recent tests, the system achieved kilowatt-level power output over a distance exceeding 100 meters, marking a critical step toward the practical engineering application of space solar power within the Chinese mainland.
According to Duan, a space solar power station functions essentially as a microwave "charging station" deployed in orbit. This innovation could fundamentally change how satellites operate by breaking their traditional reliance on onboard solar panels, providing instead a continuous and stable stream of energy support for spacecraft in orbit.
Central to this achievement is the innovative distributed Omega architecture. This design, built on multidisciplinary integration and system-level reliability, addresses the complex challenges of long-distance, high-power, and high-efficiency energy transmission. Most notably, the architecture allows a single transmitter system to supply power to multiple moving targets simultaneously.
Technical data from the verification tests highlight the system's efficiency: it reached a direct current-to-direct current transmission efficiency of 20.8% and an output power of 1,180 watts, with a beam collection efficiency of 88.0% over a 100-meter range. Furthermore, a separate experiment demonstrated the system's precision, delivering a stable 143 watts of power to a drone traveling at 30 kilometers per hour from a distance of 30 meters.
Beyond transmission, the researchers reported significant improvements in solar energy concentration and photoelectric conversion efficiency. Advances in the integration, miniaturization, and lightweight design of transmitting and receiving antennas have also been achieved, laying the essential groundwork for future deployment in the vacuum of space.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
