Harbin Institute of Technology researchers have proposed a solar-powered laser transmission network at the moon's south pole that could wirelessly beam electricity to rovers exploring permanently shadowed craters — reviving a concept first imagined by Nikola Tesla over a century ago, but now targeting an extraterrestrial environment where cables and batteries are impractical.

The core proposal

The team outlined an optimised deployment strategy for a lunar laser power transmission network in a peer-reviewed paper published in the Journal of Deep Space Exploration. The concept positions solar-powered stations on sunlit crater rims near the south pole, which receive near-continuous sunlight, and uses laser beams to deliver electricity to rovers operating in the permanently shadowed regions below. Those shadowed craters are scientifically significant: they are believed to contain water ice — frozen water trapped on or beneath the lunar surface — making them a priority target for future crewed and robotic missions.

Why it matters

The lunar south pole is at the centre of an intensifying space race. NASA's Artemis programme has targeted the region, with a crewed landing deadline of 2028, while China's Chang'e missions are advancing on a parallel track. Power delivery to permanently shadowed regions is one of the most persistent engineering obstacles for both programmes — long cable runs across rugged terrain are impractical, and battery-only systems limit operational range and duration. A laser-based grid would sidestep both constraints, enabling rovers to operate deeper inside craters for longer periods without returning to a charging station.

The Tesla connection

Tesla's late-19th and early-20th century experiments with wireless electricity transmission — most associated with his Wardenclyffe Tower project — never achieved practical terrestrial deployment. The Harbin Institute researchers argue the moon's vacuum environment and the specific geometry of south pole crater rims make it a more viable setting for the principle than anything attempted on Earth.

Institutional backing

The scientists behind the study are affiliated with two strategically significant Chinese research bodies: the National Key Laboratory of Laser Spatial Information and the National Key Laboratory of Aerospace Mechanism. Both are described as critical to China's broader aerospace advancement agenda, signalling that this is not a purely academic exercise.

What's next

The paper represents a planning and optimisation study rather than a hardware commitment, but its publication in a peer-reviewed journal marks a formal step toward engineering validation. Attention will now focus on whether the proposal feeds into upcoming Chang'e mission planning cycles and how NASA's own power-delivery strategies for Shackleton crater and surrounding terrain compare. The outcome of this competition could define which programme reaches the south pole's water ice deposits first.