Star Catcher sends electricity across NFL football field in key space power-beaming test (photos)

Star Catcher has completed a successful ground demonstration of its wireless energy-beaming technology.

It's a major milestone in the development of orbital systems capable of collecting energy from the sun and wirelessly transferring it to ground or space-based receivers as usable electricity, according to the Florida startup.

"This demonstration marks the first end-to-end test of our space power beaming technology, proving we can collect and wirelessly transmit energy with the precision needed for space applications," Star Catcher Co-Founder and CEO Andrew Rush, previously of Made in Space (which was later acquired by Redwire) said in a statement on Friday (March 21).

Star Catcher's test took place Friday at EverBank Stadium, home of the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars. There, the company used its proprietary system to collect and transmit solar power across the full 300-foot (90-meter) length of the American football pitch. The electricity was beamed to multiple solar array receivers, built using already available components to ensure backward-compatibility with existing satellite power systems.

Related: Florida startup Star Catcher snags $12 million to help develop 1st off-Earth energy grid

"Today’s success puts us one step closer to eliminating power constraints in space and unlocking new capabilities for satellites and the customers they serve," Rush said.

Star Catcher aims to eventually operate a constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) that are capable of providing a continuous supply of power to ground receivers, satellites, spacecraft and even space stations. With the EverBank test deemed a success, the company has begun preparing a much larger-scale demonstration for this summer.

Using the Launch and Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida, Star Catcher plans to beam hundreds of watts of electricity nearly a mile (over half a kilometer) across the runway once used to land the agency's space shuttles. The test will simultaneously power several mock satellites, if all goes according to plan.

The company's recent success follows a $12.25 million boost in seed funding Star Catcher received from Initialized Capital and B Capital in the summer of 2024. After tests at KSC this summer, Star Catcher hopes to begin launching its "Star Catcher Network" of energy-beaming satellites to LEO as early as the end of 2025.

That network is designed to provide energy both to customers here on Earth and satellites in orbit, according to the company.