Lab Breadboard Demonstration
End-to-end laser link built on an optical breadboard. Laser source, transmit optics, free-space propagation, and PV receiver — characterized and integrated in the lab as the first proof of the architecture.
SYS · ONLINE · ENG PORTAL / WPT-001
TX ● PWR-SAT · RX ○ CUBESAT · λ 808–1064 nm
GRAZ, AT · EST. 2024 · ESA BIC AUSTRIA
LASER WIRELESS POWER · LAB BREADBOARD ACTIVE
Wireless power,
beamed across orbit.
Theia Labs is building laser-based wireless power transmission for spacecraft. We're developing the architecture today on an optical breadboard in the lab, then taking it to orbit for a LEO CubeSat demonstration, and ultimately to the lunar surface — beaming power to rovers and landers through the lunar night.
Link Type
Laser / NIR
Phase 01 / Now
Lab / Breadboard
Roadmap
LEO → Lunar
01 / Mission Architecture
Lab → LEO → Lunar.
We prove the link on an optical breadboard in the lab, fly it as a satellite-to-CubeSat demonstration in Low Earth Orbit, then take the same architecture to the lunar surface. One system, three phases.
LEO CubeSat Power Beaming
In-orbit demonstration. A power-beaming satellite delivers laser energy to a CubeSat or SmallSat in Low Earth Orbit — extending mission life, reducing battery mass, and enabling operations through eclipse.
Lunar Surface Power Delivery
Beaming energy from lunar-orbiting satellites to rovers and landers — enabling robotic missions to survive the 14-day lunar night and operate inside permanently shadowed regions.
02 / Technology
A precision laser link, end to end.
High-efficiency laser source, diffraction-limited transmit optics, closed-loop pointing, and a wavelength-matched photovoltaic receiver — engineered as one integrated system.
DISCIPLINE / 01
Efficiency Modeling
End-to-end link budget: wall-plug → laser → optics → free space → receive optics → PV → DC. Identify loss-dominant stages and lock the architecture.
DISCIPLINE / 02
Thermal Analysis
Steady-state and transient thermal modeling of the laser source, optics, and PV receiver. Radiator sizing for sustained beam operation in vacuum.
DISCIPLINE / 03
Beam Pointing & Acquisition
Acquisition, tracking, and pointing analysis for relative orbital motion. Closed-loop fine pointing to keep the beam on the receiver aperture.
DISCIPLINE / 04
Hardware & Breadboard
Optical bench layouts, component selection, and BOM tracking from prototype breadboard to flight-relevant configuration.
03 / System Architecture
Signal flow, transmitter to receiver.
Each subsystem is modeled, sized, and characterized. The architecture below describes the canonical power flow for a Phase 01 LEO link.
// STAGE 01
Primary Power
Solar array on transmitter satellite. Sized for continuous beam ops with margin for charging.
→
// STAGE 02
Laser Module
High-efficiency NIR fiber laser, wavelength-matched to receiver PV. Thermally regulated.
→
// STAGE 03
Transmit Optics & Pointing
Beam-expanding optics, fine-steering mirror, acquisition / tracking / pointing loop.
→
// STAGE 04
PV Receiver & Conditioning
Wavelength-matched photovoltaic cell, power conditioning to spacecraft bus voltage.
● Power flow
λ 808 – 1064 nm · NIR
REF · WPT-ARCH / Rev 2.4
04 / Milestones
From a master's project to a prototype in orbit.
Theia Labs grew out of an 18-month SpaceTech project at TU Graz. The team has been advancing the architecture through ESA review and BIC incubation toward a first prototype.
2023
Concept Presented at ESA ESTEC
Founding team presents the wireless power transfer architecture for lunar-night survival to the European Space Agency at ESTEC.
2024 · Q3
Theia Labs Founded
Company incorporated in Graz, Austria. Mission expanded from lunar survival to scalable laser WPT for LEO satellite operations.
2025
Joined ESA BIC Austria
Selected for the European Space Agency's Business Incubation Centre, providing technical and commercial support to advance the architecture toward a prototype.
2025 – 2026 · NOW
Phase 01 — Lab Breadboard Demonstration
End-to-end laser link built on an optical breadboard. Subsystem characterization, integration, and full-link demonstration in the lab.
Next
Phase 02 — LEO CubeSat In-Orbit Demo
Flight demonstration: power-beaming satellite to a CubeSat in Low Earth Orbit. Validates the architecture under real orbital pointing and thermal conditions.
Future
Phase 03 — Lunar Surface Power Delivery
Lunar-orbiting transmitter beaming energy to rovers and landers on the surface, enabling robotic missions to survive the 14-day lunar night.
05 / About
Engineering the power infrastructure for the next era of spaceflight.
Theia Labs was founded in 2024 to solve one of space exploration's most persistent problems: reliable power when sunlight is not available.
The company grew out of an 18-month project during the SpaceTech Master's program at TU Graz, where the founding team designed a wireless power system to help robotic missions survive the 14-day lunar night.
What began as a lunar survival concept evolved into a broader mission: scalable, laser-based WPT solutions for space and terrestrial applications. After presenting the concept at ESA ESTEC in 2023 and joining ESA BIC Austria in 2025, Theia Labs is now developing its first prototype to meet the growing demand for sustainable power in space missions.
// 06 / ENGINEERING PORTAL
Internal engineering toolset.
Restricted access.
This site hosts our engineering tools — efficiency models, thermal analysis, beam pointing, breadboard design, and optical calculators used to size, validate, and iterate on WPT subsystems. Sign up is free; an administrator grants access to specific modules.
Public site · theialabs.space ↗