DARPA just pulled off something straight out of science fiction: they beamed over 800 watts of power, enough to run a mini-fridge, across 5.3 miles using a laser. And yes, they even popped popcorn with the energy.
In a test at White Sands Missile Range, a laser shot energy through the air into a fancy receiver equipped with mirrors and solar cells. The result? About 20% of the laser’s power converted back into electricity on site. That’s a big leap from previous records, which managed just 230 watts over 1 mile.
This experiment shows we’re no longer daydreaming about wireless power. It's actually happening. Potential uses include delivering emergency energy after disasters or even receiving solar energy beamed down from space.
Sure, this isn’t ready to replace your home’s energy just yet. Efficiency needs improvement, and challenges remain like atmospheric interference. But DARPA has a clear vision: refining the tech, testing relay networks, and eventually beaming power wherever it’s needed, fast and wirelessly.
Next time someone mentions “wireless power,” don’t just think phone chargers, think real electric power traveling through the sky.
Interest in [wireless power] has recently increased, both for military applications and space-based solar power, a nascent technology that would collect and transmit energy from sunlight in space, where it is 10 times more intense than at Earth's surface.
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