China Proposes Laser Power Towers Near Lunar South Pole for Wireless Energy Transmission

China Proposes Laser Power Towers Near Lunar South Pole for Wireless Energy Transmission

Chinese researchers are proposing that the Moon could become the world's first real-world deployment site for wireless power transmission technology. The concept centres on the lunar south pole, where crater rims enjoy near-continuous sunlight while adjacent permanently shadowed craters remain in perpetual darkness — and are believed to harbour substantial reserves of water ice.

Scientists at Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT) argue that rather than relying on long-distance cabling or heavy onboard battery systems, rovers operating inside dark craters could receive energy via laser beams fired from solar-powered stations positioned on the sunlit peaks above — offering a far more efficient power solution for extended exploration missions.

How a Lunar Laser Power Network Would Work

The research has been published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Deep Space Exploration. The HIT-led team, affiliated with the National Key Laboratory of Laser Space Information Technology and a key laboratory under China's national space agency, has put forward an optimised deployment strategy for a laser power transmission network across the lunar surface.

According to the South China Morning Post, both institutions play a strategic role in advancing China's space research, with expertise spanning laser technology, space systems, and next-generation engineering for future lunar missions.

The researchers stated that the findings could help lay the groundwork for future lunar research stations and their supporting energy infrastructure. According to the study, repositioning a laser relay station by approximately 100 metres (around 330 feet) can increase the network's effective coverage area by more than 35%, while bringing the powered zone to near-complete connectivity.

The timing of the proposal coincides with accelerating efforts by both the United States and China to establish long-term human and scientific outposts on the Moon. The lunar south pole has become the primary target for NASA's Artemis programme and China's Chang'e missions. The region holds exceptional strategic value for scientific research, in-situ resource utilisation, and future lunar base development, owing to its elevated ridges receiving extended sunlight and its shadowed craters potentially containing water ice.

Powering Rovers Where Sunlight Cannot Reach

Powering equipment inside permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) on the Moon represents one of the most significant engineering challenges facing future missions. Rovers operating within these craters cannot rely on solar panels, and batteries alone may lack the capacity to sustain prolonged exploration. The proposed system would use solar arrays on sunlit ridges to generate laser beams, transmitting energy to receivers mounted on rovers, which would then convert light back into electrical power.

The system would depend on a network of interconnected relay stations, allowing rovers to move between powered zones without carrying large onboard battery packs. Rather than selecting deployment sites based solely on sunlight accessibility, the HIT research team applied statistical modelling to identify optimal positions that maximise energy coverage while maintaining robust network connectivity.

The researchers stated that their optimised approach establishes a continuous and stable laser power supply network. To validate the concept, the team used data from NASA's Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) covering the area around Shackleton Crater — one of the most strategically significant sites for future lunar missions.

Simulation results showed that the model improves effective energy coverage from approximately 18% to over 24%, while area connectivity surges from below 40% to nearly 100%. The simulations also demonstrated that at a transmission distance of approximately 5 kilometres (around 3 miles), the system can still deliver sufficient power to support continuous rover operations within the Moon's permanently shadowed regions.

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