Application and development prospects for spacecraft-to-spacecraft wireless transmission of electrical energy

The purpose of the study was to examine the state and possible fields of short-and-long term application of technology for spacecraft-to-spacecraft wireless transmission of electrical energy. The paper focuses on a space experiment on the transmission of electrical energy from the Russian Segment of the International Space Station to the Progress transport cargo ship in the laser channel and introduces an experiment scheme that provides the required duration of sessions, a given distance of energy transmission, as well as the fulfillment of the safety requirements for the station crew. The paper describes the scientific equipment “Pelican”, developed for the space experiment, specifies its features, gives its main characteristics and layout of blocks, and shows the ways to improve the equipment’s performance to ensure wireless transmission of energy in space.