Katalyst Space has been chosen by a Pentagon energy investment program to participate in a space-based power beaming initiative alongside the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL). Under the Advanced Scalable Growth Architecture for Robotic Deployment (ASGARD) program, Katalyst will create and deploy a robotic spacecraft to build a large-format power beaming system in orbit, transmitting energy back to Earth.
The award comes from the Operational Energy Capability Improvement Fund (OECIF), which focuses on advancing novel energy technologies for military applications. Katalyst’s NRL collaboration involves developing modular tiles that will form the power beaming system. In this mission, the Katalyst Nexus spacecraft will utilize robotic arms to assemble these tiles on-orbit. The tiles will capture solar energy, convert it into radio frequency microwave energy, and relay that energy to Earth.
Additionally, Katalyst is facing challenges from previous projects, such as tech issues with a spacecraft aimed at rescuing NASA’s Swift Observatory, but has also secured a Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) contract for a deorbit-as-a-service program. The Nexus spacecraft is designed for versatile mission capabilities.
RuthAnne Darling, the Director of Operational Energy – Innovation, emphasized the significance of this pioneering technology, stating that it paves the way for new operational energy sources in space and marks a foundational step toward autonomously assembling large-scale power collectors in orbit.
