Value chain · CLM-0993
In plain terms
Space Solar has won a 1.3 million pound research contract from the research agency ARIA to help solar-powered high-altitude aircraft keep flying through the winter at UK latitudes by beaming them microwave power from the ground, at 5.8 GHz, into an antenna built into the wing. The programme's goal is a few hundred watts to a small payload for a week at a time.
The claim as recorded
Space Solar announced on 15 September 2026 a GBP 1.3m research contract from ARIA, Project HAWK, to beam power by radio frequency at 5.8 GHz from a ground transmitter to a lightweight conformal rectenna built into the wing of Prismatic's PHASA-35 high-altitude platform, with MuWave Limited developing the transmitter, in a three-stage project ending with an integrated flight demonstration. The company is one of 18 funded creators in ARIA's Enduring Atmospheric Platforms programme, GBP 70 million over 3.5 years, whose target is a net 300 W of continuous DC delivered to a 20 kg payload at stratospheric altitude for at least a week at an operating cost below GBP 500 per hour.
Evidence behind this: T5-company press release; a contract award and a programme target, self-reported.
Scope and limits
AN AWARD AND A TARGET, NOT A RESULT: no power has been beamed, no range, transmitter power, aperture or efficiency is stated, and no dates for the three stages are given. The 300 W is the ARIA programme's target for the platform class, not a figure the contract commits Space Solar to. Ground-to-air beaming at 5.8 GHz over stratospheric distances is a different regime from GEO-to-ground at 2.45 GHz and does not transfer to the satellite case except as a demonstration of the company's rectenna and beam-control hardware.
What it assumes
No assumptions are recorded against this claim.
Where it comes from
text, paragraph 1, paraphrased: a GBP 1.3m research contract from ARIA to develop RF power beaming for high altitude platforms. Paragraph 3: "a ground-based transmitter beaming power by radio frequency at 5.8 GHz", to a lightweight conformal rectenna built into the platform's wing (paraphrased). Paragraph 7, paraphrased: partners Prismatic Ltd, the BAE Systems company developing the PHASA-35, and MuWave Limited, developing the ground transmitter. Paragraph 8: "The three-stage project will end with an integrated flight demonstration", aboard the PHASA-35. Paragraph 2, paraphrased: one of 18 funded R&D Creators in ARIA's Enduring Atmospheric Platforms programme, backed by GBP 70 million over 3.5 years. Paragraph 4: the programme targets "a net 300 watts of continuous DC power delivered to a 20 kg payload at stratospheric altitude for at least a week", at an operational cost below GBP 500 per hour (paraphrased). Paragraph 3 opens: "Solar-powered stratospheric aircraft can face significant energy constraints at UK latitudes in winter", and says the approach could let the aircraft draw power from the ground in any season, weather or time of day (paraphrased).
Basis: GBP; GHz; watts DC; kg; hours
Related records
- Answers question
- QST-019 not published in this release
Cite this
energyaperture.com/c/clm-0993
CLM-0993, Energy Aperture, as of 2026-09-15.