American company Overview Energy has demonstrated, for the first time, the transmission of electrical power from a flying aircraft to a ground receiver using an infrared laser. The test took place in the skies over Pennsylvania: a Cessna turboprop aircraft at an altitude of about 5,000 meters directed energy at a solar panel on the ground.
Earlier projects of this kind used radio waves and bulky antennas, but this project uses a compact laser and ordinary solar panels as receivers. The transmission was carried out from a moving object, which is an important test of the system’s stability and precision.
The idea behind the project is broader than a single flight: the company is developing the technology to transmit energy from satellites in geostationary orbit, about 35,400 kilometers above Earth. The satellites will be able to collect solar energy around the clock and send it to Earth, where existing solar stations will serve as receivers. This would allow them to generate electricity at night and in cloudy weather.
Tests of a prototype in low Earth orbit are scheduled for 2028, and by 2030 the company expects to begin transmitting energy from geostationary satellites. If the technology scales, cities could receive clean energy without coal reserves and gas backup systems. That would add flexibility — something the energy transition currently lacks.
