Is it possible to beam solar power from space to Earth? Virginia startup Overview Energy gets Pentagon funding for its 2028 targeting test

Collecting sunlight in space isn't the hardest part of orbital solar energy. The real challenge is aiming a power beam from orbit and hitting a precise target on the ground.

On September 30, 2026, the Department of Defense awarded Virginia startup Overview Energy a contract to build the component designed to solve that targeting problem. The award, funded through the Pentagon's Operational Energy Capability Improvement Fund, covers the design and testing of a ground-based homing beacon. The exact financial terms weren't disclosed.

Pentagon backs Overview Energy’s space solar plan, but the real test will be whether its 2028 beam actually works

Overview Energy’s system doesn't rely on microwaves. Instead, it uses near-infrared light to carry power across roughly 22,000 miles from geosynchronous orbit.


Ground crews set up the homing beacon at a receiving station. The orbiting satellite locates the beacon, confirms its identity, and locks onto the site before sending any energy.

This verification step works like two-factor authentication for a beam of light. The satellite won't transmit until it verifies the receiver is authorized, preventing energy from straying off target.

The military wants space solar power to solve a specific logistics weakness. Remote outposts currently depend on fuel trucks for generator electricity, leaving convoys exposed to attack in dangerous areas.

Beaming electricity directly from space removes the need to move heavy fuel through hostile territory.

Before this contract, Overview Energy completed an Air Force study valued under $1 million to evaluate space-based energy resilience. Tech company Meta has also signed on as a commercial partner for the startup's planned orbital demonstration, though the terms of that agreement remain private.

Overview Energy plans to fly the homing beacon on its first satellite during an orbital demonstration in 2028.

If that initial test succeeds, the company targets 2030 to begin deploying a full satellite constellation for commercial power delivery. Those dates represent internal company milestones rather than guaranteed operational timelines.

Sending power from orbit to ground infrastructure has never been accomplished at scale. Significant hurdles remain, including beam safety validation, energy conversion losses, high launch expenses, and regulatory approvals required before firing energy beams at Earth.