Meet the Team Behind the Dream: Hossein Mardani, Senior RF Engineer

It’s time to meet the team behind the scenes, who are working to make the Space Solar dream a reality. Next up in Hossein Mardani, our Senior RF Engineer.

Hello, Hossein! Can you tell us a little about what you do?

I support the development of high-power RF transmitter and antenna technologies for Space-Based Solar Power (SBSP) and wireless power-beaming applications. In simple terms, my work is about helping turn advanced RF concepts into practical, efficient and scalable engineering solutions – from the transmitter and antenna design through to integration, testing and measurement.

Now let’s go back to the start – how did you get into SBSP?

My route into SBSP has really come through RF engineering, antennas and wireless power transfer. I have around 14 years of experience in RF, microwave, antenna, phased-array and wireless power transfer system design, built on a strong foundation in electromagnetic simulation, microwave circuits, antenna arrays and RF measurement from my Master’s and PhD.

Before joining Space Solar, I worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Queen’s University Belfast, where I contributed to several wireless power transfer programmes. SBSP is a very natural fit with my background because it brings together many of the RF areas I enjoy most: high-power microwave systems, antennas, phased arrays, beam control, rectennas, and practical hardware engineering.

What interests you most about SBSP?

For me, the most exciting part is that the WPT technologies underpinning SBSP – high-power microwave systems, phased arrays, and rectennas – have matured to the point where this is now a real engineering challenge, not just an ambitious idea. It’s not just about producing power in space; it’s about delivering that power safely, efficiently, and reliably to where it’s needed on Earth. That requires excellent RF, antenna, power electronics, thermal, mechanical and systems engineering all working together.

What makes SBSP better than traditional solar power?

Traditional solar power is very important, but it’s affected by day-night cycles, weather and location. SBSP has the potential to collect solar energy in space, where sunlight is much more continuous, and then deliver power to where it’s needed. The attraction is not that it replaces all other renewables, but that it could complement them by providing clean, reliable, and dispatchable power.

Let’s talk about your role as Senior RF Engineer – what has been the most challenging part of your journey so far?

For me, the main challenge is also what makes the work exciting: the scale. Many RF techniques are well understood at a laboratory or subsystem level, but SBSP pushes them into a much larger, more integrated and more demanding system. You have to think not only about whether a design works, but whether it can be made efficient, repeatable, testable, manufacturable and reliable. That system-level thinking is essential – and exciting!

What has been the most satisfying?

Being able to apply my experience to a project with such a meaningful purpose. It’s exciting to work on technology that could contribute to clean, reliable energy in the future. 

And in general, my role gives me the opportunity to work across the full chain – from electromagnetic and circuit-level design to array behaviour, beam control, hardware integration, and measurement. I enjoy the fact that the work is really multidisciplinary. RF engineering does not sit on its own here – it has to connect with system architecture, manufacturing, safety, power electronics, and mission requirements. The whole gambit.

Do you have some wise words for those looking to join the industry?

Build strong fundamentals, but also learn how to turn theory into hardware. In RF engineering, simulation is extremely useful, but measurement, testing, and practical debugging are just as important. I’d also encourage people to stay curious across disciplines. SBSP needs antenna engineers, RF engineers, power electronics engineers, mechanical engineers, software engineers, and system thinkers all working together.

What’s one myth about SBSP you’d like to bust?

That wireless power transfer means “broadcasting energy everywhere”. In reality, the engineering goal is controlled, directed, and efficient power transfer. The beam is designed, monitored, and managed very carefully, and safety, control, and efficiency are central parts of the system design.

Any final words about SBSP or Space Solar?

I’m so pleased to be part of Space Solar and to contribute to such an ambitious mission. For me, the most exciting engineering projects are the ones that combine a clear purpose with difficult technical challenges, and SBSP is exactly that. I’m looking forward to helping the team turn the vision into practical, tested, and scalable technology.