US Navy tests orbiting solar panel that could one day beam power anywhere on Earth

A pizza box sized solar panel in orbit is producing enough electricity to power an iPad, according to a succesful test of the technology by the US Navy. The Photovoltaic Radiofrequency Antenna Module (PRAM) was launched in May 2020 attached to a drone that loops around the Earth every 90 minutes and is designed to harness light from the sun to convert to electricity. The 12x12 inch panel is an early experiment for a technology that could one day harness solar radiation from the sun and beam it to anywhere on the Earth. It is designed to make the best use of light in space, which doesn't have to pass through the atmosphere where it loses energy before reaching the ground. The Pentagon one day envisages an array of panels in space that could send power to even the most remote parts of the planet and create a new global power grid.