Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC) has secured a contract worth more than $100M to build hardware the Air Force Research Laboratory will use to experiment with a solar power transmission concept.
AFRL said Oct. 24 it aims to produce a space-based technology that can utilize solar cells to convert and transmit the sun’s energy into radio signals as part of the Space Solar Power Incremental Demonstrations and Research initiative.
œEnergy is a strategic enabler and potential vulnerability for our nation and our Department of Defense said Col. Eric Felt, director of AFRL™s space vehicles directorate.
Felt added the SSPIDR project falls under the lab’s “big idea pipeline to ensure we continue to develop game-changing technologies for our Air Force, DoD nation and world.
