Katalyst Space has been selected by the Operational Energy Capability Improvement Fund (OECIF) to demonstrate on-orbit assembly and space-based power beaming under the Advanced Scalable Growth Architecture for Robotic Deployment (ASGARD) program, according to a company announcement on September 21, 2026. The mission will use Katalyst’s NEXUS platform—a multi-mission robotic spacecraft—to assemble modular power-beaming infrastructure in low Earth orbit and transmit energy back to Earth.
The NEXUS Platform and ASGARD Mission
Under the ASGARD program, Katalyst will develop and launch a robotic spacecraft designed to handle the mobility, manipulation, and autonomy required for building large-scale structures in space. According to Katalyst Space CEO Ghonhee Lee, a multi-mission robotic spacecraft serves as a key enabler for capabilities like power beaming by combining robotics, capture, and assembly on a single platform. The mission’s hardware will launch to low Earth orbit carrying modular tiles developed by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) under OECIF funding. The NEXUS spacecraft will then use its robotic arms to assemble those components into a large-format power-beaming system.
Military and Operational Energy Goals
The OECIF award targets technologies that can deliver energy directly to remote operational locations, disaster areas, and grid-constrained regions without relying on traditional fuel supply chains. According to RuthAnne Darling, Director of Operational Energy – Innovation, demonstrating the autonomous assembly of large-scale energy collectors in space opens new pathways for operational energy. The program aims to strengthen national security while providing resilient power for on-orbit missions and future space and lunar exploration for the Department of War. The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory brings direct current-to-microwave conversion technology to the project, which converts collected solar energy into radio frequency microwave energy for transmission to Earth.
Public-Private Partnership and Next Steps
The ASGARD program formalizes collaboration between defense agencies and commercial space infrastructure providers. Bernard Kelm, Acting Director of NRL’s Naval Center for Space Technology, stated that public-private partnerships accelerate the delivery of operational on-orbit capabilities. Following a kickoff event held at Katalyst Space in Broomfield, Colorado, on September 2, 2026, the partnership aims to establish a scalable path for expanding space infrastructure beyond the volume constraints of a single launch vehicle. The system is designed to be resupplied, expanded, and scaled over time to support ongoing space operations.
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