System Requirements for Over-the-Horizon Lunar Power Transfer Using Self-Guided Beam Propagation

The long-term objective of the Artemis program of a sustained lunar presence requires scalable and terrain adaptable power delivery, particularly for transmitting power to Permanently Shadowed Regions near the lunar south pole. These regions, shielded from direct sunlight due to lunar axial tilt and topography, are rich in volatiles but challenging for power delivery by physical cabling. A novel approach using self-guided optical power beaming — enabled by mutual coupling between a laser and a co-propagating cold atom beam — offers a compelling solution. The physical interaction between the laser and particle beams minimizes diffraction through refractive index gradients, while the laser’s dipole forces confine neutral atoms. This works aims to analyze the potential for generating curved power beaming trajectories with this concept under lunar gravity. To assess system feasibility, optimal beam trajectories were computed using a symplectic integrator and altimetry data from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. The analysis identified the minimum radius of curvature and optimal velocity required to maintain terrain clearance. Optimum trajectories were then translated into beam design requirements, including required refractive index contrast, dipole trapping strength, and bending tolerances governed by the distortion sensitivity parameter. Results indicate that for allowable curvature corresponding to 10% of the lunar radius, over 53% of a 200 km × 200 km region near Shackleton Crater becomes accessible, or over 2.5× the reachable area of a comparable line-of-sight power beaming system. Gains are further amplified when considering only Permanently Shadowed Regions, where we observe a 6× increase in accessible area. These findings establish key design parameters for over-the-horizon power beaming and support its further investigation for power delivery to remote lunar sites.