A Beam That Never Misses: How China Is Learning to Power Moving Objects with the Sun
1,180 watts at 100 meters, 20.8% DC efficiency, and 88% collection accuracy — the Zhu Ri project moves from one-to-one to dynamic one-to-many power transmission This was reported by CCTV+.
China's "Chasing the Sun" project, led by Xidian University in Shaanxi Province, has achieved a breakthrough. For the first time, energy has been transmitted simultaneously to multiple fast-moving targets.
Previously, the system worked only in a fixed one-to-one mode. Now, it supports dynamic one-to-many transmission. The beam finds its targets on its own and never loses them — even while they move.
Associate Professor Qian Xihao explained that the main challenge was keeping the beam locked onto moving objects without signal loss. The team developed a high-precision closed-loop control system. When the receiving antenna sends a pilot signal, the transmitting antenna instantly captures the target and calculates its position.
To prevent damage from misaligned beams, key components were upgraded with gallium nitride diodes, which withstand strong power fluctuations. Field tests confirmed: at a distance of 100 meters, the system delivers 1,180 watts. That is enough to run an air conditioner, cook food, or boil water. DC transmission efficiency reached 20.8%, and beam collection efficiency hit 88%.
The "Zhu Ri" ("Chasing the Sun") project was launched in 2022 by Xidian University in Shaanxi Province, northwest China. Its goal is to eventually transmit energy from space-based solar power stations back to Earth or to spacecraft.
Humanity has always reached for the sun — first in myths, then in science. Today, we are no longer just "chasing the Sun"; we are learning to catch its energy on the fly. And when a beam that began its journey in space finds a moving target here on Earth, it will mean we have come one step closer to the eternal dream: drawing power from the very star that gave us life.
