Don't get your hopes up. I've been analyzing this problem since the 1970s when space solar power (SSP) satellites were in vogue. Gigantic installations in geostationary orbit. Requiring equally gigantic receiver installations on the ground. Far too expensive to be worth the trouble. Various manipulations have been attempted on the concept since then, but not possible to improve the system economics. (Except that Jack Olson at Boeing was aware of a way to improve the economic productivity by a factor of two...but the method was not the topic of any design studies they were under contract to perform.)
As for more limited military applications, these usually fall apart once one gets into the details of orbital availability, propagation losses, and power intensity limitations. Due to weather constraints, the beams need to be microwave, and power levels of 1 kilowatt and up are de facto weapon systems, considering the pointing accuracy and control required. 1 kW = 1.34 horsepower. The M1 Abrams main battle tank engine is 1500 hp (1.1 MW). Trying to play with power beams of this magnitude will just create a battlefield hazard. Try flying around while these are coming down from space. And God save the poor grunt who gets caught by a reflection of such a beam.
My observations on power transmission technology: mechanical shaft power is safest, electrical power is cautious, and beamed power is exceedingly dangerous.
It seems like this Bright Idea surfaces every generation, after the previous generation learned their lesson, dropped it, and retired out of service. Nobody bothers to do a back-of-the-envelope study on the end-to-end architecture, or the potential countermeasures (e.g., chaff).
Real what? If you know, write a book and claim a Nobel prize in physics. (Just as a litmus test, do you know of the Casimir force? And how it comes about?)
Have you ever listened to any of General Kwast presentations on space, energy & his claim (circa 2018) that we have the tech to transport anyone anywhere on earth in under an hour?
Claims are dirt cheap. He may have been alluding to rocket transport, but there is no such point-to-point transportation system in operation. That was a subject of discussion back in the 90s. I was working on it then. A bridge too far.
A: Power beaming is the process of transmitting electrical energy from a power source to a receiver via a directed beam of electromagnetic radiation rather than through physical wires. In this context, power beaming transmits electrical energy over long, space-relevant distances (hundreds of kilometers scale).
As space technologies advance and power requirements for missions increase, there is a growing need to investigate alternative forms of power production, generation, and delivery for both on-orbit and terrestrial assets. In space, existing power technology limits the ability to deploy new and novel technologies on-orbit and many missions operate with narrow power margins constrained largely by a trade between size, weight, and power (SWaP) and availability of power sources. Terrestrially, the fight of the future requires access to power in denied and potentially austere locations.
Space Power Beaming (SPB) provides an innovative approach to remove the power ceiling and improve the duty cycle for on-orbit systems. SPB could also provide a means to reduce or eliminate the need for extended infrastructure and reduce the logistics burden throughout the spectrum of conflict.
Desired Solution
The Joint Force seeks a demonstration traceable to a future operational capability that will inform architecture decisions. SPB is envisioned as a multi-orbit utility, enabling long-range power delivery to multiple orbital regimes (Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO), and beyond) and terrestrial locations. This could enable a number of applications of interest to the Department of War such as edge computing, in-space manufacturing, and power delivery to forward operating locations and unmanned systems. Multiple approaches are under consideration including power-as-a-service or United States Government (USG) owned/operated systems.
While it is expected that SPB will eventually be multi-orbit capable, the Joint Force desires a near-term, LEO-based prototype and demonstration to evaluate the military utility of the capability. This on-orbit demonstration has been broken down into the following Lines of Effort (LoEs) for solutions to address:
LoE 1. Space-to-Space Power Beaming
Complete commercial solutions for transmitting power to space-based receivers
LoE 2. Space-to-Terrestrial Power Beaming
Complete commercial solutions for transmitting power to terrestrial-based receivers
LoE 3. Power Beaming Receivers
Complete commercial solutions for receiving and converting the power that was transmitted from LoE 1 & 2 solutions
LoE 4. Next-gen Power Beaming Components
Commercial solutions for next-gen power transfer components designed to reduce SWaP and/or improve the manufacturability for SPB transmitting and receiving capabilities
Vendors have the opportunity to provide a single solution brief that addresses one, two, three, or all four LoEs. Please note that LoEs 1 and 2 are the primary areas of consideration for this requirement. Vendors should explicitly indicate which LoE(s) their solution is addressing. Additionally, solutions to LoE 4 must incorporate existing technology currently at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 5 or higher, and must present a reasonable plan to achieve TRL 6 or higher by the time of on-orbit demonstration(s).
Solutions to LoEs 1-4 with the following attributes would enable assessment of the technology’s viability for operational use.
Required Solution Attributes:
Rapid fielding: Leverage existing technology and investments wherever possible to minimize total cost and decrease time to on-orbit demonstration
Energy delivered: Measure and characterize energy delivered to each recipient
Beam size: Minimize receiver beam area to enable delivery to small receivers and minimize energy waste
Operating Ranges:
LoE 1: Deliver power to satellites orbiting up to 1,200km
LoE 2: Deliver power to terrestrial receivers
Desired Solution Attributes:
Latency: Minimal between power beaming events
Maximum interoperability and integration: Capable of delivering power to existing legacy systems without specialized receivers
Scalable technology: Design to be able to scale power levels as required by the use case
Vendors also have the opportunity to enter teaming arrangements with other companies (non-traditional or prime defense contractors) that are necessary for their solutions. Vendors are expected to have any teaming arrangements in place to execute their proposed solutions by contract award so work can begin without delay. Successful submissions will clearly identify the status of necessary teaming arrangements as part of the solution. Preference will be given to teaming arrangements that demonstrate prior partnership success.
For all LoEs, the USG will favor solutions that require minimal modifications to existing plans and capabilities to achieve on-orbit demonstration readiness. This includes incorporating already planned on-orbit demonstrations into this effort.
Execution Overview
For LoEs 1-3, the prototype effort will begin with milestones leading to a lab-based demonstration within 12 months of award. The USG will evaluate the results of that demonstration and determine if the solution is ready for on-orbit prototype demonstration(s) within 24 months of award. These prototypes are intended to lead to an operational capability by FY30. The desired programmatic end state is the ability to access this operational SPB capability on demand.
For LoE 4, the prototype effort will include milestones leading to a lab-based component demonstration within 6 months of award. The USG will evaluate the results of that demonstration and determine if the solution is ready for integration into awarded solutions for LoEs 1-3.
Eligibility Requirements
This area of interest is open to the U.S. and international vendors. Vendors are reminded that in order to utilize an Other Transaction (OT) agreement, the requirements of 10 USC 4022 must be satisfied. Specifically 10 USC 4022(d) requires significant contribution from a nontraditional defense contractor, all participants to be small business concerns or nontraditional defense contractors, or at least one third of the total cost of the prototype project is to be paid out of funds provided by sources other than the Federal Government.
The Terms and Conditions linked below are intended to be incorporated into any resultant OTA. By submitting a response to this AOI, you acknowledge these Terms and Conditions as the basis for a future agreement. Your response should be prepared in alignment with these baseline Terms and Conditions.
The Government intends to hold Phase 2 pitches the week of 03 August 2026.
Awarding Instrument
This Area of Interest will follow the Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) framework established under HQ085420SC0001 DIU CSO, posted to SAM.gov in March 2020.
Awarding Process
DIU
FAQs
Q: What is power beaming?
A: Power beaming is the process of transmitting electrical energy from a power source to a receiver via a directed beam of electromagnetic radiation rather than through physical wires. In this context, power beaming transmits electrical energy over long, space-relevant distances (hundreds of kilometers scale).
Q: If addressing multiple LoEs, should we submit one solution brief or multiple?
A: Submit one solution brief covering all eligible LoEs.
Q: Are commercial partnerships/teaming agreements acceptable to achieve a complete solution?
A: Partnerships are acceptable, and only complete solutions addressing at least one LoE will be considered. Successful submissions will clearly identify the status of necessary partnerships as part of the solution brief deck or white paper.
Before You Submit
What we recommend you include when you submit a solution brief.
When you submit to a DIU solicitation, we'll ask you to include a solution brief. Here's some guidance about what that entails.
Potential Follow-On Production Contract for Prototype Other Transaction Agreements
Companies are advised that any Prototype Other Transaction (OT) agreement awarded in response to this solicitation may result in the direct award of a follow-on production contract or agreement without the use of further competitive procedures. Follow-on production activities will result from successful prototype completion.
The follow-on production contract or agreement will be available for use by one or more organizations within the Department of Defense. As a result, the magnitude of the follow-on production contract or agreement could be significantly larger than that of the Prototype OT agreement. All Prototype OT agreements will include the following statement relative to the potential for follow-on production: “In accordance with 10 U.S.C. § 4022(f), and upon a determination that the prototype project for this transaction has successfully been completed, this competitively awarded Prototype OT agreement may result in the award of a follow-on production contract or transaction without the use of competitive procedures.”
2023 Other Transaction Guide
Common issues with submissions
If you are having problems uploading your AOI submission to DIU, it may be one of these common issues with submitting, click here for solutions to common submission issues.
Don't get your hopes up. I've been analyzing this problem since the 1970s when space solar power (SSP) satellites were in vogue. Gigantic installations in geostationary orbit. Requiring equally gigantic receiver installations on the ground. Far too expensive to be worth the trouble. Various manipulations have been attempted on the concept since then, but not possible to improve the system economics. (Except that Jack Olson at Boeing was aware of a way to improve the economic productivity by a factor of two...but the method was not the topic of any design studies they were under contract to perform.)
As for more limited military applications, these usually fall apart once one gets into the details of orbital availability, propagation losses, and power intensity limitations. Due to weather constraints, the beams need to be microwave, and power levels of 1 kilowatt and up are de facto weapon systems, considering the pointing accuracy and control required. 1 kW = 1.34 horsepower. The M1 Abrams main battle tank engine is 1500 hp (1.1 MW). Trying to play with power beams of this magnitude will just create a battlefield hazard. Try flying around while these are coming down from space. And God save the poor grunt who gets caught by a reflection of such a beam.
My observations on power transmission technology: mechanical shaft power is safest, electrical power is cautious, and beamed power is exceedingly dangerous.
It seems like this Bright Idea surfaces every generation, after the previous generation learned their lesson, dropped it, and retired out of service. Nobody bothers to do a back-of-the-envelope study on the end-to-end architecture, or the potential countermeasures (e.g., chaff).
The Aether is real.
😀
Real what? If you know, write a book and claim a Nobel prize in physics. (Just as a litmus test, do you know of the Casimir force? And how it comes about?)
Have you ever listened to any of General Kwast presentations on space, energy & his claim (circa 2018) that we have the tech to transport anyone anywhere on earth in under an hour?
Claims are dirt cheap. He may have been alluding to rocket transport, but there is no such point-to-point transportation system in operation. That was a subject of discussion back in the 90s. I was working on it then. A bridge too far.
Yeah, well i wonder if some tesla tech didnt get dropped on elon by trump.
Aether energy is REAL
…and hopefully eliminate these S.M.A.R.T. meters.
Q: What is power beaming?
A: Power beaming is the process of transmitting electrical energy from a power source to a receiver via a directed beam of electromagnetic radiation rather than through physical wires. In this context, power beaming transmits electrical energy over long, space-relevant distances (hundreds of kilometers scale).
https://www.diu.mil/work-with-us/submit-solution/PROJ00685
Project Description Problem Statement
As space technologies advance and power requirements for missions increase, there is a growing need to investigate alternative forms of power production, generation, and delivery for both on-orbit and terrestrial assets. In space, existing power technology limits the ability to deploy new and novel technologies on-orbit and many missions operate with narrow power margins constrained largely by a trade between size, weight, and power (SWaP) and availability of power sources. Terrestrially, the fight of the future requires access to power in denied and potentially austere locations.
Space Power Beaming (SPB) provides an innovative approach to remove the power ceiling and improve the duty cycle for on-orbit systems. SPB could also provide a means to reduce or eliminate the need for extended infrastructure and reduce the logistics burden throughout the spectrum of conflict.
Desired Solution
The Joint Force seeks a demonstration traceable to a future operational capability that will inform architecture decisions. SPB is envisioned as a multi-orbit utility, enabling long-range power delivery to multiple orbital regimes (Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO), and beyond) and terrestrial locations. This could enable a number of applications of interest to the Department of War such as edge computing, in-space manufacturing, and power delivery to forward operating locations and unmanned systems. Multiple approaches are under consideration including power-as-a-service or United States Government (USG) owned/operated systems.
While it is expected that SPB will eventually be multi-orbit capable, the Joint Force desires a near-term, LEO-based prototype and demonstration to evaluate the military utility of the capability. This on-orbit demonstration has been broken down into the following Lines of Effort (LoEs) for solutions to address:
LoE 1. Space-to-Space Power Beaming
Complete commercial solutions for transmitting power to space-based receivers LoE 2. Space-to-Terrestrial Power Beaming
Complete commercial solutions for transmitting power to terrestrial-based receivers LoE 3. Power Beaming Receivers
Complete commercial solutions for receiving and converting the power that was transmitted from LoE 1 & 2 solutions LoE 4. Next-gen Power Beaming Components
Commercial solutions for next-gen power transfer components designed to reduce SWaP and/or improve the manufacturability for SPB transmitting and receiving capabilities Vendors have the opportunity to provide a single solution brief that addresses one, two, three, or all four LoEs. Please note that LoEs 1 and 2 are the primary areas of consideration for this requirement. Vendors should explicitly indicate which LoE(s) their solution is addressing. Additionally, solutions to LoE 4 must incorporate existing technology currently at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 5 or higher, and must present a reasonable plan to achieve TRL 6 or higher by the time of on-orbit demonstration(s).
Solutions to LoEs 1-4 with the following attributes would enable assessment of the technology’s viability for operational use.
Required Solution Attributes:
Rapid fielding: Leverage existing technology and investments wherever possible to minimize total cost and decrease time to on-orbit demonstration Energy delivered: Measure and characterize energy delivered to each recipient Beam size: Minimize receiver beam area to enable delivery to small receivers and minimize energy waste Operating Ranges: LoE 1: Deliver power to satellites orbiting up to 1,200km LoE 2: Deliver power to terrestrial receivers Desired Solution Attributes:
Latency: Minimal between power beaming events Maximum interoperability and integration: Capable of delivering power to existing legacy systems without specialized receivers Scalable technology: Design to be able to scale power levels as required by the use case Vendors also have the opportunity to enter teaming arrangements with other companies (non-traditional or prime defense contractors) that are necessary for their solutions. Vendors are expected to have any teaming arrangements in place to execute their proposed solutions by contract award so work can begin without delay. Successful submissions will clearly identify the status of necessary teaming arrangements as part of the solution. Preference will be given to teaming arrangements that demonstrate prior partnership success.
For all LoEs, the USG will favor solutions that require minimal modifications to existing plans and capabilities to achieve on-orbit demonstration readiness. This includes incorporating already planned on-orbit demonstrations into this effort.
Execution Overview
For LoEs 1-3, the prototype effort will begin with milestones leading to a lab-based demonstration within 12 months of award. The USG will evaluate the results of that demonstration and determine if the solution is ready for on-orbit prototype demonstration(s) within 24 months of award. These prototypes are intended to lead to an operational capability by FY30. The desired programmatic end state is the ability to access this operational SPB capability on demand.
For LoE 4, the prototype effort will include milestones leading to a lab-based component demonstration within 6 months of award. The USG will evaluate the results of that demonstration and determine if the solution is ready for integration into awarded solutions for LoEs 1-3.
Eligibility Requirements This area of interest is open to the U.S. and international vendors. Vendors are reminded that in order to utilize an Other Transaction (OT) agreement, the requirements of 10 USC 4022 must be satisfied. Specifically 10 USC 4022(d) requires significant contribution from a nontraditional defense contractor, all participants to be small business concerns or nontraditional defense contractors, or at least one third of the total cost of the prototype project is to be paid out of funds provided by sources other than the Federal Government.
The Terms and Conditions linked below are intended to be incorporated into any resultant OTA. By submitting a response to this AOI, you acknowledge these Terms and Conditions as the basis for a future agreement. Your response should be prepared in alignment with these baseline Terms and Conditions.
The Government intends to hold Phase 2 pitches the week of 03 August 2026.
Awarding Instrument
This Area of Interest will follow the Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) framework established under HQ085420SC0001 DIU CSO, posted to SAM.gov in March 2020.
Awarding Process DIU
FAQs Q: What is power beaming?
A: Power beaming is the process of transmitting electrical energy from a power source to a receiver via a directed beam of electromagnetic radiation rather than through physical wires. In this context, power beaming transmits electrical energy over long, space-relevant distances (hundreds of kilometers scale).
Q: If addressing multiple LoEs, should we submit one solution brief or multiple?
A: Submit one solution brief covering all eligible LoEs.
Q: Are commercial partnerships/teaming agreements acceptable to achieve a complete solution?
A: Partnerships are acceptable, and only complete solutions addressing at least one LoE will be considered. Successful submissions will clearly identify the status of necessary partnerships as part of the solution brief deck or white paper.
Before You Submit What we recommend you include when you submit a solution brief. When you submit to a DIU solicitation, we'll ask you to include a solution brief. Here's some guidance about what that entails.
Potential Follow-On Production Contract for Prototype Other Transaction Agreements Companies are advised that any Prototype Other Transaction (OT) agreement awarded in response to this solicitation may result in the direct award of a follow-on production contract or agreement without the use of further competitive procedures. Follow-on production activities will result from successful prototype completion.
The follow-on production contract or agreement will be available for use by one or more organizations within the Department of Defense. As a result, the magnitude of the follow-on production contract or agreement could be significantly larger than that of the Prototype OT agreement. All Prototype OT agreements will include the following statement relative to the potential for follow-on production: “In accordance with 10 U.S.C. § 4022(f), and upon a determination that the prototype project for this transaction has successfully been completed, this competitively awarded Prototype OT agreement may result in the award of a follow-on production contract or transaction without the use of competitive procedures.”
2023 Other Transaction Guide
Common issues with submissions If you are having problems uploading your AOI submission to DIU, it may be one of these common issues with submitting, click here for solutions to common submission issues.
This got anything to do with the FCC's space mirrors?
We are getting warmer. Official military / govt. account talking about Tesla tech.
They're asking for submissions, but I think we can be sure they already know how it works. A "company" will now develop it further.
Sorry, no "Tesla tech." Good old-fashioned microwaves. This has been known for half a century.
Exactly.
*directed microwave or laser beams