Category Archives: Solar Power

Tuesday / 16 December 2025

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Intuitive Machines Forges Ahead with US$4.82B Lunar Relay Network

Intuitive Machines (“IM”, Nasdaq “LUNR”), Houston TX, collaborates with Telespazio / Leonardo / Thales Alenia of ESA lunar communication / navigation program for interoperable infrastructures, secures NASA Near Space Network contract of up to US$4.82B for 5-satellite solar-powered constellation in lunar orbit, providing constant Moon South Pole connectivity via high-speed data relay; $150M initially, IM sells usage minutes to NASA, $1M / year projected; 1st satellite via IM-3 2026, all 5 by 2027 with 2 via IM-4; IM acquires KinetX for $30M to forward mission; Alphabet spinoff Aalyria also working on lunar connectivity

Image Credits: Intuitive Machines, Leonardo / Telespazio

Friday / 21 November 2025

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“Moon Bricks” After 1 Year of Radiation / Temps +121°C to -157°C

Returning with Shenzhou-20 crew on SZ-21 craft, being analyzed in China after one-year exposure outside Tiangong Space Station (TSS) are mortise-tenon bricks / blocks created from simulated lunar regolith, i.e., volcanic ash from Changbai Mountain with similar chemical composition; made with hot-press sintering, involving heat up to 2,000°C, pressure ±50 megapascals and possible vacuum or inert gas atmosphere, bricks have similar density as conventional but 3x compressive strength; in-situ resource utilization on Moon would use concentrated solar energy; analysis will continue at years 2 / 3, November 2026 / 2027; developed by National Digital Construction Technology Innovation Center of Huazhong University of Science and Technology

Image Credits: China Central Television (CCTV), China National Space Administration (CNSA)

Tuesday / 18 November 2025

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Star Catcher, Intuitive Machines Surpass DARPA Record in Beaming Power to Lunar Rover

Star Catcher Industries, Jacksonville FL (via ~US$12M seed funding and Power Purchase Agreements) and Intuitive Machines, Houston TX (IM) eclipse a record at NASA Kennedy, simulate lunar orbit sunlight intensity / spectrum, convert to multi-wavelength laser energy, beam >1.1 kW over >1 km, energize standard solar panels on IM Moon RACER rover, transfer ~2.78 kWh to recharge LTV batteries; DARPA May 2025 test transferred only 800 Watts; alternative to nuclear or fuel-cell power source for surviving lunar night, does not increase mission mass / costs / complexity; on-orbit demo planned for 2026, “full-scale multi-orbit deployment” in 2030 for sustained South Pole mission

Image Credits: Star Catcher Industries, Intuitive Machines