New space solar power station could also aid in warfare, study claims

China’s ambitious plans to build a space-based solar power station are drawing renewed attention after scientists revealed that the system could also support military operations such as communications control and electronic warfare.

The concept revolves around a massive orbital infrastructure capable of collecting solar energy in space and transmitting it to Earth via tightly focused microwave beams.

Such systems are usually discussed as future sources of clean energy, but researchers say the same technology could enable other strategic capabilities if adapted for defense purposes.

Orbital energy systems with dual-use potential

A recent paper by Chinese scientist Duan Baoyan, a professor at Xidian University and a leading architect of the country’s “Zhuri” or “sun-chasing” initiative, outlines a redesigned architecture for the project. According to the report, the revamped system could support multiple functions “such as communication, navigation, reconnaissance, interference and remote control,” alongside its primary role of transmitting energy from space.

According to a South China Morning Post (SCMP) report by Ling Xin, the system relies on extremely narrow, precisely steerable microwave beams capable of transmitting power from orbit to ground receivers over long distances. While designed for efficient energy transfer, the same beam-forming capability could, in theory, be used to target communication systems, potentially jamming signals or securing military communications.

The technology falls under the concept of space-based solar power (SBSP), which involves collecting sunlight in orbit where it is nearly continuous and unaffected by weather or the day-night cycle. The energy is converted into electricity and then transmitted wirelessly, typically using microwaves or lasers, to receiving stations on Earth.

Researchers argue that such systems could produce far more energy per unit area than terrestrial solar farms, as orbiting panels operate without atmospheric losses or cloud cover.

China’s OMEGA design, short for Orbit M-shaped Exploration and Gigawatt Application, was first proposed in the 2010s and has since evolved into a modular architecture composed of multiple smaller solar-collecting units. The distributed design is intended to simplify engineering challenges, improve thermal management, and ensure the system continues to function even if some modules fail.

A global race to harness power from space

China is not alone in pursuing the idea. Space-based solar power has attracted increasing attention from space agencies and research institutions worldwide. In the United States, NASA has explored the SPS-ALPHA (Solar Power Satellite via Arbitrarily Large Phased Array) concept, which also relies on large networks of modular units to gather solar energy and beam it to Earth.

Meanwhile, researchers at the California Institute of Technology launched a prototype system, the Space Solar Power Demonstrator, in 2023. The project tested technologies including deployable structures, advanced photovoltaic cells, and a microwave array capable of wirelessly transmitting power in orbit.

Europe is also studying the concept through the European Space Agency’s SOLARIS initiative, which is assessing whether orbital solar power stations could supply continuous renewable energy to Earth in the coming decades.

Despite growing interest, the technology remains technically and economically challenging. Building kilometer-scale structures in orbit, transmitting energy over tens of thousands of kilometers, and maintaining precise beam control are among the major hurdles researchers continue to address.

Sci-fi ambitions and strategic implications

China’s space-based solar power effort also sits alongside several other ambitious projects that highlight the scale of the country’s long-term space planning. These include concepts such as the “Nantianmen Project,” often described in Chinese media as a theoretical space-based aircraft carrier system, and proposals for building a nuclear reactor on the Moon to power future lunar infrastructure in the early 2030s.

Other missions already moving forward reflect the same experimental push. China’s Tianwen-2 mission, for example, is expected to attempt a complex asteroid sampling operation using robotic arms designed to anchor onto a rotating space rock. The country has also discussed futuristic launch concepts such as an electromagnetic rocket launch pad, which could accelerate spacecraft using ground-based electromagnetic systems rather than conventional rockets.

Placed in this context, the Zhuri space solar power system represents another piece of a broader technological strategy focused on long-duration space infrastructure. While its main goal remains continuous clean energy generation from orbit, the ability to transmit highly controlled microwave beams and support communication and navigation functions suggests it could also become part of a larger orbital network supporting satellites and other space systems.

Today, the technology remains experimental. But advances in wireless power transmission, modular space structures, and orbital manufacturing are steadily bringing ideas once confined to theoretical studies closer to practical testing.