---
title: "Battle for Orbital Light: How China is Creating 'Infinite' Solar-Powered Drones"
description: "Chinese engineers have created a system for charging drones and satellites mid-flight. 🚀 The orbital solar station has already passed successful tests, transmitting energy at a distance of 100 meters. This could be China's answer to US chemical refueling stations. ☀️🛸"
date: 2026-05-30T16:14:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/battle-for-orbital-light-how-china-is-creating-infinite-solar-powered-drones
tags: []
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Battle for Orbital Light: How China is Creating 'Infinite' Solar-Powered Drones

![An unmanned aerial vehicle flying above the clouds, symbolizing the technology of transmitting solar energy from orbit](https://xab.info/media/2026/05/30/kitay-razrabotal-sistemu-bezprovodnoy-zaryadki-dronov-s-orbiti/dron-v-oblachkah-solnechnaya-energiya.webp)

Imagine a swarm of drones that never needs to land for recharging. This is not a science fiction scenario, but a reality that China is rapidly approaching. Engineers from Xidian University have made a breakthrough in developing technology capable of changing the rules of the game in the field of unmanned systems and space missions.

### Energy from Nowhere: Success of Ground Tests

Specialists of the Sun Chasing project successfully completed tests of a prototype system that is intended to operate in orbit in the future. During the experiments, engineers demonstrated the ability to transmit electricity to moving targets without using wires. A drone flying at a speed of 30 km/h at a distance of 30 meters from the transmitter stably received 143 watts of power.

However, the real breakthrough occurred during the testing of static objects. At a distance of 100 meters, the system delivered an impressive 1180 watts, and the energy conversion efficiency (DC-to-DC) reached 20.8%. This proves that the technology is ready for scaling.

### "Smart" Antenna Technology

The project leader, Professor Duan Baoyan, called the task "super-complex," but his team found an elegant solution. The key element was a new antenna capable of focusing an energy beam on several moving targets simultaneously. This means that one orbital station will be able to support the operation of dozens of satellites or drones in real-time.

The system works on the principle of microwave transmission. A powerful beam is sent from the transmitter, and special lightweight receivers on board the drones capture it with 88% efficiency. Currently, the main task for engineers is the miniaturization of equipment to facilitate its launch into space.

### Space Race: Sun vs. Hydrazine

The creation of orbital energy hubs has become a new front in the technological rivalry of superpowers. While the US, through its Space Force, invests millions in the development of chemical refueling stations using toxic hydrazine, China is betting on clean and inexhaustible solar energy.

The US is not standing aside: scientists from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) launched their MAPLE prototype back in 2023. Nevertheless, the Chinese team is ahead of competitors in implementation rates, having completed the construction of a full-fledged ground verification system in Shaanxi province.

The next stage for Sun Chasing is reaching orbit. If the tests are successful, the world will see the birth of a new era where drones and satellites will receive energy infinitely, without depending on flight time or fuel reserves.