Paul Jaffe

American electrical engineer

Paul Jaffe

Paul Jaffe

Born| 1973

United States

Alma mater| University of Maryland, College Park BSEE
Johns Hopkins University, MSEE
University of Maryland, College Park, PhD
Scientific career
Fields| electrical engineer, spacecraft engineer, power beaming, space solar
Thesis| A Sunlight to Microwave Power Transmission Module Prototype for Space Solar Power (2013)

Paul Jaffe (born 1973) is an American electrical engineer who works in the Spacecraft Engineering Department, United States Naval Research Laboratory. He is known for research on power beaming and space-based solar power. His Ph.D. Thesis (2013) was "A Sunlight to Microwave Power Transmission Module Prototype for Space Solar Power." He is currently a Program Manager in DARPA's Tactical Technology Office.

One of his specialties is building and testing space modules.[1]

In March 2016 Jaffe and team member Col. Peter Garretson (USAF) won award categories during the first Department of Defense ‘Diplomacy, Development, and Defense (D3) Innovation Challenge.[2]

He is the principal investigator for a space experiment that was launched into space in May 2020, and which provided data to inform the development of solar power satellite technology.[3] He is also the principal investigator of the Space Wireless Energy Laser Link (SWELL), the first experiment to demonstrate laser power beaming in space.[4]

Jaffe oversaw the execution of a DARPA demonstration in 2025 that set a new power beaming distance record of 8.6 km, delivering more than 800 W from a laser transmitter to a photovoltaic receiver.[5]

## Power Beaming: History, Theory, and Practice

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Jaffe is the lead author of a 2024 book, Power Beaming: History, Theory, and Practice,[6] a textbook covering various methods of power beaming, including both RF (microwave) and optical (laser) technologies.

## References

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1. ^ "The Navy's Plan to Beam Down Energy from Orbiting Solar Panels". Wired. 2014-03-17.
2. ^ "NRL Space-Based Solar Power Concept Wins Secretary of Defense Innovative Challenge". nrl.navy.mil. U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
3. ^ "CNN exclusive: A solar panel in space is collecting energy that could one day be beamed to anywhere on Earth". www.cnn.com. CNN. 24 February 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
4. ^ "First In-Space Laser Power Beaming Experiment Surpasses 100 Days of Successful On-Orbit Operations". www.nrl.navy.mil. U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. 13 July 2023. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
5. ^ "DARPA Program Sets Distance Record For Power Beaming". www.darpa.mil. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. 16 May 2025. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
6. ^ Jaffe, Paul; Nugent, Tom; Strassner, Bernd II; Szazynski, Mitchel (2024). Power Beaming: History, Theory, and Practice. World Scientific. ISBN 9789811243103.