{"id":20231,"date":"2026-10-02T12:24:32","date_gmt":"2026-10-02T12:24:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.theck1.no\/?p=20231"},"modified":"2026-10-02T12:24:32","modified_gmt":"2026-10-02T12:24:32","slug":"star-catcher-is-about-to-beam-power-between-two-satellites-for-the-first-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.theck1.no\/?p=20231","title":{"rendered":"Star Catcher Is About to Beam Power Between Two Satellites for the First Time"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"margin:0 0 1em; padding:0.6em 0.9em; border:1px solid #d0d7de; border-radius:6px; background:#f6f8fa; color:#444; font-size:0.9em;\"><strong>AI-rewritten:<\/strong> This is a summary of an article from Singularity Hub, rewritten by AI (Qwen, running locally) to make it easier to read. The facts come from the original article &ndash; read it for the full story.<\/p>\n<div style=\"margin-bottom:1em; color:#666; font-size:0.9em;\"><strong>Singularity Hub &bull; Edd Gent &bull; October 1, 2026<\/strong><\/div>\n<hr\/>\n<p>Florida startup Star Catcher is testing a system to beam power between satellites using lasers. The company aims to create an orbital power grid to solve energy shortages for future space factories and data centers. Satellites usually rely on solar panels, but strict weight limits make it difficult to carry enough hardware for power-hungry tasks like artificial intelligence and manufacturing. Star Catcher&#8217;s prototype, launched today, will transmit energy from one spacecraft to another for the first time.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p>The technology works by using lenses on a satellite called &quot;Protostar&quot; to concentrate sunlight into laser beams. This light is adjusted to wavelengths that maximize efficiency and can be converted back into electricity by standard solar panels on receiving spacecraft. According to Star Catcher, this method could allow satellites to generate up to 10 times more power than traditional sunlight without requiring new hardware modifications. The system also aims to extend the life of older spacecraft with degraded batteries.<\/p>\n<p>While the company previously tested parts of its technology on Earth in 2025, delivering 1.1 kilowatts to NASA facilities, this mission marks the first full space test. Protostar will beam power to a companion cubesat while tracking it as it moves away. However, experts note significant challenges remain, including precise target tracking and equipment durability. Star Catcher has already signed ten power purchase agreements with companies, indicating strong commercial interest in the technology.<\/p>\n<div style=\"margin-top:2em; padding:1em; border-left:4px solid #0073aa; background:#f5f7fa;\">\n<p style=\"margin:0;\"><strong>Source:<\/strong> Singularity Hub &bull; Edd Gent &bull; October 1, 2026<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:0.5em 0 0;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/singularityhub.com\/2026\/10\/01\/star-catcher-is-about-to-beam-power-between-two-satellites-for-the-first-time\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read the original article at Singularity Hub &rarr;<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>AI-rewritten: This is a summary of an article from Singularity Hub, rewritten by AI (Qwen, running locally) to make it easier to read. The facts come from the original article &ndash; read it for the full story. Singularity Hub &bull; Edd Gent &bull; October 1, 2026 Florida startup Star Catcher is testing a system to<\/p>\n<p class=\"more-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/news.theck1.no\/?p=20231\" class=\"themebutton2\">READ MORE<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20231","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-positive-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.theck1.no\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20231","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.theck1.no\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.theck1.no\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.theck1.no\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.theck1.no\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=20231"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/news.theck1.no\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20231\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.theck1.no\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=20231"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.theck1.no\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=20231"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.theck1.no\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=20231"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}