Solar-powered lasers could usher a new era of space exploration [Video]

In the future, spacecraft could get rid of the limited fuel problem by tapping into the limitless energy of the sun. 

Scientists have identified a way to directly convert sunlight into laser beams in space. This approach would make it possible to transmit power over huge distances, from satellites to lunar bases and even to Earth.

Researchers at Heriot-Watt University, in collaboration with international scientists, have proposed this novel idea inspired by certain bacteria. 

The goal to create solar-powered lasers falls under the APACE project, a €4 million initiative co-funded by the European Innovation Council and Innovate UK. This international collaboration involves researchers from the UK, Italy, Germany, and Poland. 

“Our APACE project aims to create a new type of laser powered by sunlight. Regular sunlight is usually too weak to power a laser directly, but these special bacteria …