Chinese researchers have developed and tested a wireless power transmission system capable of sending energy to multiple moving targets at the same time, in what is being seen as a significant step towards future space-based solar power stations.
According to a report by the South China Morning Post, the team successfully carried out large-scale ground tests using a 75-metre tower built at Xidian University in Xian.
The system reportedly transmitted 1,180 watts of microwave power across about 100 metres while maintaining accurate beam tracking and control. Researchers also tested the technology on a moving drone travelling at roughly 30 kilometres per hour, with the drone receiving 143 watts of power wirelessly during flight.
The project is part of China’s long-running “Zhuri,” or “chasing the sun,” programme aimed at developing orbiting solar power stations capable of collecting solar energy in space and transmitting it wirelessly back to Earth.
Researchers said the latest experiments focused on solving one of the biggest technical challenges in wireless energy transmission: maintaining stable power delivery to moving targets.
The reported overall transmission efficiency reached 20.8 per cent, meaning about one-fifth of the original electrical energy was successfully converted back into usable power at the receiving end.
The system is designed around microwave energy beams, a technology that could eventually allow satellites, drones or even lunar infrastructure to receive power remotely without relying entirely on onboard batteries or solar panels.
Chinese engineer Duan Baoyan, who leads the project, has previously described future space-based solar stations as similar to “microwave charging stations” in orbit.
In 2014, Duan and his team proposed plans for a giant orbital solar power station known as Omega, positioned roughly 36,000 kilometres above Earth in geostationary orbit.
The design was later revised in 2023 to use smaller distributed structures working together instead of one massive station, an approach similar to concepts explored by NASA.
The South China Morning Post report also noted that researchers claimed to have made progress in reducing the size and weight of transmitting and receiving antennas, though technical details were not publicly released.
While China has not yet conducted similar tests in orbit, the latest ground-based experiments highlight Beijing’s growing ambitions in advanced energy and space technologies.
