WASHINGTON - The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) is officially tired of plugging things into walls and is now seeking commercial proposals to beam electrical power between spacecraft and from orbit to the ground. Yes, you read that right: space power beaming is no longer just for sci-fi movies and overly optimistic TED Talks.

DIU, the Pentagon's fast-track tech adoption arm, wants companies to submit proposals by July 22 for systems that can transmit power to satellites in low Earth orbit or to receivers on terra firma. Selected companies must demonstrate their wizardry in a lab within 12 months of getting an award, and if that goes well, they'll get 24 months to launch an on-orbit prototype. The Pentagon wants an operational space power-beaming capability by fiscal 2030, though they haven't decided whether to buy the system or just subscribe to space electricity as a service.

Power beaming works by sending electrical energy via a directed beam of electromagnetic radiation - basically a fancy flashlight that doesn't need batteries. The technology could let satellites run longer or support more power-hungry payloads without relying on their own solar panels and batteries. On Earth, it could juice up military units, autonomous systems, and other gear in places where fuel deliveries or electrical outlets are hard to come by. DIU calls it a potential "multi-orbit utility" that could eventually beam energy to low, medium, and geosynchronous Earth orbit, destinations beyond GEO, and even ground receivers.

The solicitation covers five areas: space-to-space transmission, space-to-ground transmission, receivers, and components to make transmitters and receivers smaller and cheaper. DIU's main priorities are the space-to-space and space-to-ground transmission systems. The agency is favoring tech that can be fielded quickly and tacked onto orbital demonstrations companies already have planned.

The solicitation is open to U.S. and international companies, and it's using DIU's Commercial Solutions Opening process, which leverages the Pentagon's Other Transaction authority to move faster than your typical government procurement. To qualify, a project generally needs a nontraditional defense contractor, involve only small businesses, or have non-government participants chip in some of the prototype's cost. A successful prototype could lead directly to a larger production contract, and DIU says multiple Defense Department organizations could buy the resulting capability.

This all comes as commercial startups and defense contractors are increasingly investing in power-beaming tech for both military and civilian uses, giving DIU a broader pool of potential suppliers than existed just a few years ago. Because nothing says "21st century warfare" like zapping power from orbit instead of running an extension cord.