Volta Space Technologies provides wireless power transfer solutions for lunar surface assets through its orbital architecture, LightGrid. This system eliminates the high capital expenditure of traditional battery storage, offering a pay-as-you-go model for energy access. By delivering continuous power, the technology significantly extends the operational lifespan of multi-year lunar missions.
Funding
Funding not disclosed
ESFounders
Product
Problem
Lunar surface missions are constrained to roughly two weeks of operation because conventional battery packs are heavy, expensive, and lack the capacity for sustained power generation. The high upfront capital required for large‑scale energy storage limits the feasibility of longer‑duration scientific and commercial activities on the Moon.
Solution
Volta Space Technologies delivers continuous, on‑demand electricity to lunar assets through its LightGrid orbital power‑beaming architecture. An orbiting transmitter harvests solar energy and wirelessly transfers it to surface receivers (LightPort) via directed microwave/laser beams, eliminating the need for bulky batteries. The system operates on a pay‑as‑you‑go model, removing fixed capital expenditures and allowing mission planners to scale power consumption with actual usage. By providing uninterrupted power, LightGrid can extend mission lifetimes by up to two orders of magnitude, enabling multi‑year operations for scientific, exploration, and commercial payloads. Integration requires only a lightweight receiver module, making retro‑fit or new‑build lunar hardware straightforward. Power allocation is managed remotely through a cloud‑based telemetry interface that monitors beam alignment, link efficiency, and consumption in real time.
Target Audience
Primary customers are government space agencies, commercial lunar lander providers, and infrastructure developers that require reliable, long‑duration power for surface missions, habitats, and scientific experiments on the Moon.
Features
- Orbital power‑beaming platform that converts solar energy to high‑efficiency microwave/laser transmission for lunar surface delivery
- LightPort receiver: compact, low‑mass unit that converts beamed energy to regulated DC power for payloads
- Dynamic beam steering and adaptive power control to maintain link stability across varying lunar terrain and orbital dynamics
- Usage‑based billing engine that tracks kilowatt‑hour consumption and invoices operators on a pay‑as‑you‑go basis
- Secure telemetry and command link for real‑time monitoring of power flow, beam alignment, and system health
- Plug‑and‑play integration with existing lunar lander, rover, and habitat power buses via standard DC interfaces
- Scalable architecture supporting multiple simultaneous surface nodes with load‑balancing across the orbital transmitter fleet