The US Navy conducts an experiment on microwave transmission of energy from space to Earth

The US Navy Experimental Laboratory (NRL) for transmitting energy from space to earth via a microwave beam is deployed in orbit and is ready for testing, Spacenews reported. The laboratory was launched into orbit on May 17 by a US Air Force X-37B space plane. The laboratory includes a special antenna module, which is being tested as part of the relevant research program. The Photoelectric Radio Frequency Antenna Module (PRAM) was built by the US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) to test how this technology works in real space.

The PRAM consists of a 30 cm square module with a solar panel and a microwave energy transmitter. The idea is to radiate energy through the Earth’s atmosphere, so the researchers chose microwaves – although for other planets and satellites, such as the Moon, a laser can also be used due to the absence of an atmosphere or its high rarefaction. According to NRL, the purpose of the experiment is to study the energy conversion process, thermal performance and efficiency of the technology.

Based on the results of PRAM, the next step is to create a fully functional prototype system installed on a spacecraft that will direct energy from space to Earth.