# A Lunar-Orbiting Satellite Constellation for Wireless Energy Supply
###### Abstract  
The goal of this research is to define a lunar-orbiting system that provides power to the lunar surface through wireless power transmission. To meet the power demand of a lunar base, a constellation of satellites placed in stable orbits is used. Each satellite of this constellation consists of solar arrays and batteries that supply a power transmission system. This system is composed of a laser that transmits power to receivers on the lunar surface. The receivers are photonic power converters, photovoltaic cells optimized for the laser's monochromatic light. The outputs of this work will cover the architecture of the system by studying different orbits, specifically analyzing some subsystems such as the laser, the battery pack and the receiver placed on the lunar ground. The study is conducted considering two different energy demands and thus two different receivers location: first, at the strategic location of the Artemis missions' landing site, the Shackleton Crater near the lunar south pole; second, on the lunar equator, in anticipation of future and new explorations. The goal is to evaluate the possible configurations to satisfy the power required for a lunar base, estimated at approximately 100 kW. To do this, several cases were analyzed: three different orbits, one polar, one frozen and one equatorial (Earth-Moon distant retrograde orbit) with different numbers of satellites and different angles of the receiver's cone of transmission. The main objective of this paper is to perform a comprehensive feasibility study of the aforementioned system, with specific emphasis placed on selected subsystems. While thermal control, laser targeting, and attitude control subsystems are briefly introduced and discussed, further investigation is required to delve deeper into these areas and gain a more comprehensive understanding of their implementation and performance within the system. wireless power transmission; Moon energy supply; laser; frozen orbit; Earth-Moon distant retrograde orbit 2023201 spacecraft systems such as the laser and EPS will be delineated. Investments in the Artemis program by various government agencies, including NASA [1; 2], ESA [3], JAXA, and CSA, have been driven by the desire to explore space, focusing on our solar system, starting from the Moon. One of the program's primary objectives is to establish a permanent lunar base [4], which will serve as a launchpad for the exploration of Mars. The program will also involve studying the psychological and physical response of the astronauts and testing new technologies. The presence of future bases on lunar soil, inhabited by both humans and robots [2], and the increase in the number of lunar missions will result in an increasing need for energy supply on the Moon. Traditional methods of power generation and distribution, based on the installation of photovoltaic panels by sunlight conversion, are not suitable for working in the lunar environment, which has different characteristics to those on Earth. As an example, in [5] a case study of a solar power plant with batteries at the lunar south pole resulted in an estimated area of 282 m\({}^{2}\) and a total mass of 68 tons, dropping to 14 tons with the use of fuel cells. The goal of this work is to find the best architecture that takes advantage of the new idea of power generation by untying the concept of localized generation in the same place where it is used, in this case the lunar soil. The duration of a lunar day, or the time it takes for the Moon to complete one rotation on its axis, is approximately 27.3 Earth days. This means that one lunar day is much longer than a day on Earth. This extended duration of a lunar day has significant implications for energy generation and usage on the Moon. One of the major challenges for energy generation on the Moon is the limited sunlight exposure during the lunar night. Since the Moon rotates slowly, each lunar day is followed by a long lunar night, which lasts for about the same duration.