Pentagon backs plan to generate solar power in space for use on Earth. The Pentagon is backing a new effort to develop technology that could beam solar power from satellites in orbit to receiving stations on Earth, advancing a concept that has moved from science fiction territory toward possible commercial and military applications. Virginia based startup Overview Energy has received a contract through the Pentagon's Operational Energy Capability Improvement Fund to design, build and test a homing beacon for its planned space based solar system. The beacon would allow satellites to locate ground receivers and precisely direct near-infrared energy toward them. Overview is targeting a space demonstration in 2028, while its broader system is designed for eventual deployment in geosynchronous orbit. The company says its satellites could collect sunlight continuously in space and send energy to existing solar infrastructure on Earth. Pentagon funds key technology for space solar. The Pentagon contract focuses on a relatively narrow but essential part of the proposed system. Overview will develop a ground based beacon that communicates with satellites and helps them identify the correct receiving location. The company says the beacon would allow an orbital satellite to lock onto a designated solar array and transmit energy with high precision. The contract's value has not been disclosed. The award is part of a broader Defense Department effort to explore space based energy as a potential source of reliable power for military operations, particularly in locations where supplying fuel or maintaining conventional energy infrastructure can be difficult. Overview targets 2028 orbital demonstration. Overview plans to test its technology in low Earth orbit in 2028 before moving toward a larger commercial system. The company's longer term concept uses satellites in geosynchronous orbit, roughly 22,000 miles above the equator, where they can collect sunlight for long periods and transmit energy to fixed receiving sites. Overview says the system would convert sunlight into near infrared light and beam it toward solar facilities on the ground. The receiving infrastructure would then convert the energy into electricity. Meta already plans to use space solar. The Pentagon is not the only major organization backing Overview's technology. Meta announced in April that it had partnered with Overview Energy to bring up to 1 gigawatt of space based solar energy to Earth. Meta said the partnership could help provide reliable electricity for its artificial intelligence infrastructure and data centers. According to Meta, Overview's satellites would collect sunlight in orbit and beam energy to existing solar facilities, allowing those facilities to produce electricity around the clock. Meta's interest reflects the growing demand for dependable power from data centers as artificial intelligence systems require increasing amounts of electricity. Military power needs drive Pentagon interest. For the Defense Department, space based solar power could offer advantages beyond supplying commercial electricity. Military operations increasingly depend on communications, computing and other systems that require reliable energy. Fuel deliveries can be vulnerable in remote or contested environments, while conventional generators require regular maintenance and supplies. The Pentagon has described space operational energy as a growing area of interest. The Defense Innovation Unit also sought industry proposals in July for near term demonstrations capable of transmitting power between satellites and from space to the ground, with an operational goal by 2030. A separate Pentagon backed effort involving Katalyst Space is developing satellites that would collect solar energy and transmit it using microwaves rather than Overview's near-infrared approach. Space solar still faces major cost challenges. Despite the recent contracts, space based solar power remains far from widespread commercial deployment. The technology requires satellites, launch vehicles, receiving infrastructure and highly precise power-transmission systems. Launching large amounts of hardware into orbit remains expensive, while building and maintaining large orbital structures would add significant costs. The Energy Department has noted that space based solar could provide continuous energy because sunlight is available in space when portions of Earth are experiencing nighttime. The concept has long faced questions over cost, engineering complexity and transmission efficiency. U.S. Government expands space energy investment. The Overview contract follows a broader increase in U.S. government attention to space based energy. In August, the Energy Department announced a $12 million funding opportunity focused on advancing space photovoltaic technology and expanding domestic manufacturing capabilities. The department said space based solar could support U.S. national security and economic competitiveness. For the Pentagon, the immediate objective is practical: demonstrate whether solar energy collected in space can be transmitted reliably to users on Earth. A successful 2028 demonstration would provide an important test of the concept, but commercial deployment would still require larger systems, lower costs and proven long term reliability. Could Pentagon backed space solar technology become a practical source of round the clock electricity as demand from AI and military systems continues to rise? Follow EVTV Online for more updates on energy technology, space innovation and the future of power generation. 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Overview Energy secures US military space solar contract. The military-backed project will develop a beacon to help satellites securely deliver solar power to designated remote locations Overview Energy is developing a homing beacon to help its planned space-based solar satellites securely direct power to designated military and remote ground sites. Published on: Oct 05, 2026, 4:49 am Key Takeaways * Overview Energy has secured backing from the US Department of War for its space-based solar technology * It is developing a homing beacon to support secure power delivery to remote or contested military locations * Overview Energy plans to integrate the beacon into its first satellite demonstration in 2028 US-based space solar company Overview Energy has announced backing from the Department of War to develop a homing beacon for its space-based solar power system. The beacon is intended to help satellites identify and lock onto designated ground-based receiving sites before transmitting energy from space, the company said. Overview Energy is developing satellites that would collect solar energy in orbit and transmit it to the Earth using near-infrared light beams. The company said the system could provide electricity to remote locations without relying on conventional fuel deliveries. The company said the technology could also support military applications by providing power to remote or contested locations. It is working with military personnel to develop and test the system at operational sites. The Department of War has approved the contract through the Operational Energy Capability Improvement Fund (OECIF) fund that is focused on maturing and demonstrating operational energy technologies. Christopher DePuma, Combat Power Portfolio Lead at OECIF said, "Overview Energy's technology opens up a new source of reliable power, and the homing beacon ensures precise, secure power delivery from orbit to an authenticated destination." Overview Energy says that the contract will support the design, development and testing of the homing beacon, which is expected to be integrated into the company's first satellite demonstration planned for 2028. Overview Energy previously tested wireless power transmission from a moving airborne platform. It plans to further develop the technology for a larger space-based solar power system, with commercial-scale deployment targeted for the 2030s. This contracts follows the company securing its first US Air Force contract to assess how its space-based solar technology could provide reliable power to remote military installations, in May 2026. Earlier this year, Meta reserved up to 1 GW of space-based solar power under an agreement with Overview Energy to support its growing AI data center energy needs in the US (see Meta Blocks Up To 1 GW Space-Based Solar Power).