Space technologies are developing rapidly and are already laying the foundation for the future of humanity. They not only open up new horizons for exploring the Universe, but also have the potential to solve pressing earthly problems, from energy to communications. Space is becoming a testing ground for innovations that may soon change our daily lives. This article will look at three new developments paving the way for such a future and imagine how they can be combined into the ambitious Orbital Modular Energy Network (OMEN) project.
Three breakthrough space technologies
Sidus Space. In April 2025, the American company Sidus Space received a patent notice for a modular satellite testing platform. This is the design of its small LizzieSat satellites, which allows for flexible reconfiguration of the vehicle for specific tasks. This modular approach makes it easy to reassign satellite components to different missions, increasing efficiency, reliability, and simplifying the integration of new instruments. In other words, the same satellite can be converted to a new mission like a construction set, which significantly reduces costs and speeds up the preparation of space launches.
Aetherflux. Aetherflux, a startup founded by entrepreneur Baiju Bhatt (co-founder of Robinhood), has raised $50 million in investment to develop a system for transmitting solar energy from orbit to Earth. The idea is to launch a series of satellites into low Earth orbit (LEO) that will collect solar energy and send it back to Earth as a laser beam to special ground stations. This concept is inspired by science fiction – Isaac Asimov described a similar “solar powerplant” in orbit in his 1941 story Reason. Now Aetherflux is looking to turn this fantastic idea into reality, planning the first demonstration satellite with energy transmission for 2026. Work is already underway on a key component: a system that will convert the electricity generated by the satellite’s solar panels into laser radiation for transmission downward.
Firefly Aerospace and the LM400. For Firefly Aerospace, 2025 is also an eventful year. This private aerospace company (founded by a Ukrainian native, by the way) launched a demonstration satellite on its Alpha rocket on April 29, 2025. On board is an experimental vehicle based on the new LM400 platform from Lockheed Martin, which will test the capabilities of this universal satellite bus in real flight conditions. The mission is symbolically called Message in a Booster, hinting that this launch carries an important signal for the industry.
But why Firefly? Alpha has already worked out the procedures for “hot standby”: the capsule with the payload can be stored in a pressurized box near the launch. This means that redundant laser or battery modules can be kept “on the shelf” and launched when needed (for example, in case of a sudden increase in energy demand or a node failure).
One ton to LEO is a convenient place between nanosatellite rockets and Falcon 9. A module with 15 m2 of solar panels, a 10 kW laser, and a battery weighs ≈250 kg; so three modules + adapter = 820 kg → perfect for Alpha. And the launch of ten such flights forms the first megawatt cluster.
For on-demand launches, Alpha transports encapsulated payloads to the launch site in a matter of hours, without large vertical towers; this mobile approach is well-suited for urgent missions where receivers need to be deployed and new power supplies added quickly.
The Firefly Alpha combines affordable cost, speed, and accuracy, making it the ideal “workhorse” for deploying and maintaining such a power grid.
OMEN project: an integrated orbital power grid
Let’s imagine that these three technologies are combined in one ambitious project. Every ambitious project should have a strong name, let’s call it OMEN (Orbital Modular Energy Network), a hypothetical system that could become a real “solar powerplant” in orbit, assembled from modular satellites. The idea is simple: use modular satellites like the Sidus LizzieSat as flexible platforms, equipping them with laser energy transfer systems from Aetherflux, and launch these vehicles in a cohesive network using Alpha rockets from Firefly. Thanks to the modular architecture of Sidus, the satellite platform can be easily supplemented with the necessary components, from powerful solar panels to a laser transmitter, as its design simplifies the integration of new payloads. At the same time, Aetherflux is already developing a technology capable of converting solar electricity into a laser beam for transmission – in fact, it is creating a module that can be installed on an orbiter. New satellite modules can be launched, and the network can be replenished by Firefly or similar new generation launchers, which are increasingly entering the market with the offer of fast and relatively affordable cargo launching.
In the OMEN project, each satellite would act as an “energy link” in an orbital chain. Networked together, they could collect the sun’s energy in a coordinated manner and transmit it to receiving stations on Earth. Modularity means that the network can be easily scaled up, adding new satellites as needs grow or technology improves. Just as a series of communications satellites (e.g., Starlink) are already creating global Internet coverage, OMEN could create global energy coverage. This is a kind of “power grid in the sky”: if one satellite fails or goes into the Earth’s shadow, another one picks up the baton and continues transmission.
Let’s add some specifics and make our calculations that will confirm or refute our concept.
Let’s imagine an OMEN demonstration satellite with a solar panel area of 100 m2. In orbit, it receives a flux of 1361 W/m2 – the so-called “solar constant”. With a photovoltaic cell efficiency of ~30%, the highly efficient silicon-GaAs matrix generates ≈41 kW of direct current. This current is fed to the fiber laser unit with an electro-optical efficiency of 55% (the level demonstrated in laboratory Yb- and Tm-lasers), so we get ≈22 kW of infrared radiation at a wavelength of 1.55 µm (eye-safe range). The angular divergence of a diffraction-limited beam is estimated by the formula θ ≈ λ/D; with a 1-m diameter output optic, θ ≈ 1.6 µrad, and at an altitude of 600 km, this gives a spot with a diameter of ~1.9 m. If the ground receiver is a tracker with a 10 m aperture, it intercepts almost the entire beam, even taking into account atmospheric losses (≈70% transparency for 1.55 µm in a clear sky). The receiving grating is equipped with GaAs transducers specially tuned for this spectrum; their optoelectric efficiency has already been demonstrated. ≈60 %. Circuit summary: 22 kW × 0.70 × 0.60 ≈ 9 kW of net “green” power on Earth – that is, about 22% of the primary solar energy. The scalability is obvious: a network of ~120 such modules (or larger panels of 1000 m2 each) will produce ≈1 MW of continuous energy, regardless of day or night or clouds over the consumer.
Benefits for space and Earth
For space missions. An integrated power grid in orbit would give a powerful impetus to space exploration. Let’s imagine that spacecraft, bases, or expeditions no longer depend only on their own heavy batteries or solar panels, but instead can be “charged” with a beam of energy received from the OMEN network. This will fundamentally change the approach to designing space technology: ships and rovers will be lighter, as part of the energy will be received from the outside. For example, future lunar or Martian colonies could receive electricity from orbital stations without relying solely on solar panels that are hampered by night or dust storms. Constant power from space would be a “safety net” for deep space missions, increasing their autonomy and range.
For the Earth. A project like OMEN could be a breakthrough in the Earth’s energy sector. Solar power plants flying above the clouds can provide a continuous flow of energy in orbit, the Sun shines almost around the clock, without night breaks or cloudy days. This means that electricity will be supplied to consumers steadily, regardless of the time of day or weather. Ground-based receiving stations (large antennas or arrays of photovoltaic cells) will convert the laser beams back into electricity and store it in batteries for further distribution. Geography will no longer matter: energy from space can be sent to a desert or a mountain village, to places where the construction of a traditional power grid is expensive or impossible. Aetherflux is already claiming that compact receivers with a diameter of 5-10 meters will be able to supply electricity even to the most remote corners of the planet. Thus, orbital power plants will complement terrestrial renewable sources, providing “insurance” against dust storms and clouds. Such space-based solar farms can be an environmentally friendly solution to the global energy crisis, as they generate clean energy without direct emissions and do not require any fuel or large areas of land.
Today, Sidus Space, Aetherflux, and Firefly Aerospace are individually demonstrating exciting achievements ranging from flexible satellites to wireless power transmission. But the fun will begin when these technologies start working together. The OMEN project still exists only as a concept, but it reflects the direction in which the modern space industry is moving. Yesterday it was the plot of a science fiction story, and tomorrow the orbital power grid may become part of our reality, providing humanity with unlimited energy from space and opening the way to new starry horizons.
