Prismatic Wins £15.7M ARIA Contract for PHASA-35 Power Beaming

On 15 September 2026, BAE Systems announced that its subsidiary Prismatic secured a £15.7 million contract from the UK Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) to integrate ground-based power beaming technology into the PHASA-35 High Altitude Pseudo Satellite (HAPS). The 3.5-year demonstration program aims to enable year-round, continuous stratospheric flight by overcoming the limitations of solar power during short winter daylight hours.

The contract is part of ARIA’s broader Enduring Atmospheric Platforms program, which recently expanded to a £70 million investment across 18 projects. By transmitting power directly from the ground to the aircraft, developers hope to establish HAPS as a persistent, lower-cost alternative to conventional satellites for communications, surveillance, and Earth observation.

Advancing the PHASA-35 platform

The PHASA-35 is an Uncrewed Air System (UAS) featuring a 35-metre wingspan and a total weight of 150 kg. Designed to operate at altitudes up to 66,000 feet, the aircraft currently relies entirely on solar panels and batteries. This power architecture restricts its operational endurance in regions with long winter nights, such as the United Kingdom.

Bob Davidson, CEO of BAE Systems’ Prismatic, stated in the press release that power beaming could be transformative for the platform. He noted that relying solely on the sun presents a significant challenge in places with limited winter daylight.

The integration of power beaming could also improve the aircraft’s utility. The PHASA-35 currently has a payload capacity of 15 kg. Reducing the reliance on heavy onboard batteries could allow engineers to increase that capacity, making room for heavier sensors or communication arrays.

Project HAWK and rectenna integration

The power beaming architecture relies on partnerships with Space Solar and MuWave Limited. Space Solar announced on 15 September 2026 that it received a £1.3 million ARIA contract to develop the radio-frequency rectenna technology under an initiative named Project HAWK.

Space Solar Co-CEO Martin Soltau indicated that energy remains a central constraint for HAPS operations. The ARIA funding will transition the company’s rectenna technology from laboratory testing to an integrated flight demonstration on the PHASA-35.

The technical targets for the ARIA program are highly specific. The agency aims to demonstrate the delivery of 300 watts of continuous direct current power to a 20 kg communications payload in the stratosphere for at least one week. The ultimate goal is to achieve an operational cost below £500 per hour.

Building a domestic stratospheric industry

ARIA Programme Director for Enduring Atmospheric Platforms Rico Chandra emphasized the strategic nature of the investments. Chandra stated the research expands UK leadership in high-altitude platforms, aiming to make the country the primary location where the industry is designed, built, and scaled.

AirPro News analysis

We view the ARIA investment as a critical bridge for the HAPS sector. For years, solar-powered stratospheric platforms have struggled with the “winter penalty” at higher latitudes. If Prismatic and Space Solar can successfully demonstrate reliable ground-to-air power beaming at 66,000 feet, it will fundamentally alter the payload-to-weight economics of the PHASA-35. Removing battery mass in favor of payload capacity makes the platform significantly more competitive against low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations, particularly for localized, persistent surveillance and telecommunications relays.

Sources: BAE Systems