What is the Space Energy Prize?
Our aim: A £30m prize awarded to the first team to demonstrate safe, scalable and reliable transmission of energy between two orbiting satellites launched from a UK spaceport Innovating our way to net zero will take big and bold bets. One of the boldest is the idea that solar power could be generated in space - above the clouds and around the clock - and beamed back down to Earth.
The UK has a strong track record in satellite design and technology that means it could be well placed to solve this challenge - and has big ambitions in its new national space strategy, including supporting a domestic space launch capability.
The Space Energy Prize would tackle one of the key barriers to deploying this technology: challenging space entrepreneurs to create and demonstrate the technology to safely, accurately and reliably beam power between orbiting satellites.
As well as providing one of the key stepping stones to beaming power down to Earth, this would create useful technology for powering the huge constellations of satellites that increasingly provide key communications and Earth observation facilities that we rely on across the world. Get in touch if you are interested in collaborating on this future prize.
The Space Energy Prize
This prize idea is designed to be a conversation starter, so tell us what you think! The best prize ideas are developed through extensive research and engagement with experts, stakeholders and people with lived experience of the problems they are focused on. We start with a first draft like the one above - then work to improve, refine and validate our thinking.
We're particularly keen to have conversations about this idea with potential funders and organisations working in the field. Get in touch if you're interested - or if you think you have a better idea - and we'll schedule a call. Contact our prize teams