Space Panels Could Soon Beam Electricity Back to Earth

WASHINGTON — The Independent newspaper reports that the Pentagon has been using its secretive X-37B space plane to test a solar panel that could one day beam electricity to earth.

The Photovoltaic Radiofrequency Antenna Module — or PRAM for short — is currently the size of a pizza box, but the technology could be scaled up in order to send massive amounts of clean and renewable energy to Earth via microwaves — possibly even enough energy to power whole cities.

The test panel was launched into orbit last year aboard the space plane.

It absorbs blue-light energy from sunlight that cannot pass through the Earth's atmosphere.

This means it's able to harness solar energy much more effectively than terrestrial setups.

The test panel is only capable of capturing and transmitting around 10 watts of energy back to Earth — enough to power a phone or tablet.

However, if the system scales up successfully, the technology could deliver significant amounts of power to remote regions of the globe, as well as provide electricity during natural disasters and emergencies.