Dr. Paul Jaffe is a Program Manager in DARPA’s Tactical Technology Office, where he oversees the Persistent Optical Wireless Energy Relay (POWER) project. Prior to joining DARPA, he spent 30 years as an engineer and researcher at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL). At the NRL, he led or held major roles on dozens of space missions and breakthrough technology development programs for NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), the military services, and other sponsors. These include the Special Sensor Ultraviolet Limb Imager (SSULI), the Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO), TacSat-1, TacSat-4, Operationally Responsive Space (ORS), the Photovoltaic Radiofrequency Antenna Module (PRAM), the Microwave Imager/Sounder (MIS), CARINA, Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites (RSGS), Power TRansmitted Over Laser (PTROL), Space Solar for Forward Operating Bases and Remote Installations (S2FOBs), the Light-Emitting Rectenna STEM demonstration on the International Space Station (LEctenna), and the Space Wireless Energy Laser Link (SWELL) which was the first demonstration of optical power beaming in space.
He served as the electrical segment lead for multiple complex space missions, including the Microwave Imager/Sounder (MIS) project. In this capacity he led a large team of hardware and software engineers and managed a budget of nearly $100M in the development of microwave, digital, and analog electronics subsystems for a large radiometer for an operational weather satellite.
Dr. Jaffe served as a coordinator of the NRL’s seminal studies of the military applications of space solar, and as an editor of the study groups’ acclaimed final reports. He was the principal investigator for a ground-breaking research effort involving the development and testing of modules for conversion of sunlight into microwaves. The modules have a number of potential applications, including satellites for space solar, and have been launched and tested in space via the Department of Defense’s (DoD) Space Test Program (STP) and have returned valuable data to inform future efforts. He was also the champion for the first power beaming STEM demonstration in space, conducted on the International Space Station by Astronaut Jessica Meir. He oversaw a portfolio of power beaming and space solar projects for the U.S. Department of Defense from 2019-2022.
As part of his work, Dr. Jaffe has authored and presented over 60 peer-reviewed scientific papers and articles for international journals and conferences, as well as several patent disclosures. He has been an invited keynote and colloquium speaker, conference presenter, and panelist on many occasions, most recently in relation to space solar and power beaming. He served as the Deputy Director of the Office of the Secretary of Defense’s Operational Energy Innovation office from 2021-2022. He has made presentations to a wide range of audiences on science and technology topics, and has appeared worldwide in television, radio, print, and online media as a science and technology expert on MSNBC, on the Science Channel’s “Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman,” the Energy Cast podcast, CuriosityStream, and as a TEDx speaker. His work has been featured by Wired, Der Spiegel, CNN, the Huffington Post, the Drudge Report, Politico, and dozens of other outlets. His publications and work with STEM and educational outreach have received numerous awards and recognition. He led the team that took top honors at the Secretary of Defense’s 2016 Defense, Diplomacy, and Development (D3) Innovation Challenge.
Since 2001, he has worked with K-12, undergraduate, and graduate students as a tutor and mentor for a range of STEM topics. Many of his student’s projects have received international honors and recognition. He serves as a lecturer for the Aerospace Engineering Department at the University of Maryland College Park, where he has taught the course “Introduction to Power Beaming and Space Solar” since 2017.
He received a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Maryland College Park and a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University, graduating with honors. He earned a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park.
Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his family, reading, playing word games, picking up litter, and kiteboarding. He has had a life-long fascination with both space and energy.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Books
Power Beaming, Paul Jaffe et al. 2024, World Scientific Publishing.
Book Chapters
Paul Jaffe (2022). “Solar Power Satellites.” Far Field Wireless Power Transfer and Energy Harvesting, Naoki Shinohara, editor. Artech House.
Paul Jaffe (2020). “Chapter 24 - Space Solar.” Future Energy 3rd edition, Trevor Letcher, editor. Elsevier Ltd.
Journal Articles
P. Jaffe, " Spooky Power at a Distance: Researchers have beamed substantial amounts of energy at distances over 1 kilometer," in IEEE Spectrum, vol. 59, no. 6, pp. 36-41, June 2022, doi: 10.1109/MSPEC.2022.9792185
C. T. Rodenbeck et al., “Terrestrial Microwave Power Beaming,” IEEE Journal of Microwaves, vol. 2, no. 1, pp 28-43, doi: 10.1109/JMW.2021.3130765
C. T. Rodenbeck et al., “Microwave and Millimeter Wave Power Beaming,” IEEE Journal of Microwaves, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 229–259, doi: 10.1109/JMW.2020.3033992.
G. Roesler, P. Jaffe and G. Henshaw, "Orbital mechanics," in IEEE Spectrum, vol. 54, no. 3, pp. 44-50, March 2017.
doi: 10.1109/MSPEC.2017.7864756
Paul Jaffe, David Scheiman, and Karina Hemmendinger (2014). Concentrated Solar Radiation Simulation For Space Solar Power Module Vacuum Testing. Journal of the IEST: October 2014, 57(1), 77-92.
Paul Jaffe, Jason Hodkin, Forest Harrington, Clark Person, Michael Nurnberger, Bang Nguyen, Susie LaCava, Dave Scheiman, Grant Stewart, Andrew Han, Ethan Hettwer, Daniel Rhoades (2014). Sandwich module prototype progress for space solar power. Acta Astronautica, 94(2), 662-671.
Paul Jaffe, James McSpadden (2013). Energy Conversion and Transmission Modules for Space Solar Power. Proceedings of the IEEE 101(6), 1424-1437.
Paul I. Jaffe (2009). Space Solar Power Activity at the Naval Research Laboratory. Ad Astra 21(4), 41.
Conference Papers and Presentations
Paul Jaffe, Col. Paul Calhoun, Robert Winsor (2023). “POWER: Persistent Optical Wireless Energy Relay, and DARPA’s pathway to Energy Web Dominance,” presented at the 2023 IEEE Wireless Power Technology Conference and Expo, San Diego, California.
Paul Jaffe (2022). “Power Beaming and Space Solar,” presented at the 2022 SERDP & ESTCP and OE-Innovation Symposium, Arlington, Virginia.
Paul Jaffe (2021). “Power Beaming and Space Applications,” presented at the 3rd Optical Wireless Power Transmission (OWPT) Conference, Yokohama, Japan.
Paul Jaffe (2019). “15 Critical Measurements for Power Beaming Links.” Proceedings of the 2019 International Space Development Conference, Arlington, Virginia.
Phillip P. Jenkins, David A. Scheiman, Raymond Hoheisel, Justin R. Lorentzen, Richard P. Fischer, David T. Wayne, Brittany E. Lynn, Conor M. Pogue, and Paul Jaffe, "Challenges in Receiver Design for Free-Space Optical Power Transfer," The 1st Optical Wireless and Fiber Power Transmission Conference (OWPT 2019), Yokohama, Japan, Apr. 23 - 25, 2019.
Phillip Jenkins, Raymond Hoheisel, David Scheiman, Justin Lorentzen, Richard Fischer, David Wayne, Brittany Lynn, and Paul Jaffe. “Silicon Solar Arrays for Laser Power Transfer Applications.” Proceedings of the 2018 Photovoltaics Specialists Conference.
Lewis M. Fraas, Geoffrey A. Landis, Arthur Palisoc, Paul Jaffe. “Space Solar Power, Mirror Development, & the International Space Station.” Proceedings of the 67th International Astronautical Congress 2016 (IAC 2016). Paper presented at the 67th International Astronautical Congress, Guadaljara, Mexico. Paris: International Astronautical Federation.
Paul Jaffe, Peter Garretson, Avram Bar-Cohen, Julia Nesheiwat, John Mankins (2016). “Space Solar at the 2016 Defense, Diplomacy, and Development Technology Innovation Pitch Challenge.” Proceedings of the 67th International Astronautical Congress 2016 (IAC 2016). Paper presented at the 67th International Astronautical Congress, Guadaljara, Mexico. Paris: International Astronautical Federation.
Paul Jaffe (2015). “Review of Sandwich Conversion Modules for Space Solar Power.” Presentation at the 2015 IEEE International Conference on Wireless for Space and Extreme Environments (WiSEE), Orlando, FL, December 14th-16th, 2015.
Tanwin Chang, Stephen J. Blank, Paul Jaffe (2015). Architecture for an Over-the-Horizon Wireless Power Transmission System at 10.6 microns with Rectenna Power Converters. Proceedings of the IEEE Wireless Power Transfer Conference 2015. Paper presented at the IEEE Wireless Power Transfer Conference 2015, Boulder, CO (1-4). http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/articleDetails.jsp?arnumber=7140157&filte...(p_Publication_Number:7131285)
Paul Jaffe, James McSpadden (2015). Development of Sandwich Conversion Modules for Space Solar Power. Proceedings of the IEEE Wireless Power Transfer Conference 2015. Paper presented at the IEEE Wireless Power Transfer Conference 2015, Boulder, CO.
Paul Jaffe (2015) Performance of a “Step” Sandwich Module for Space Solar Power. Paper presented at the 30th Symposium on Space Technology and Science, Kobe City, Japan. http://archive.ists.or.jp/upload_pdf/2015-q-05.pdf.
Paul Jaffe (2014). Optimization of Sandwich Conversion Modules for Space Solar Power. Proceedings of the 65th International Astronautical Congress 2014 (IAC 2014). Paper presented at the 65th International Astronautical Congress, Toronto (6411). Paris: International Astronautical Federation.
Stephen J. Blank, Paul Jaffe, Tanwin Chang (2014). Over the Horizon Wireless Power Transmission, a Low-Cost Precursor for Space Solar Power. Proceedings of the 2014 IEEE 25th Annual International Symposium on Personal, Indoor, and Mobile Radio Communications (PMIRC). Paper presented at the 2014 IEEE 25th Annual International Symposium on Personal, Indoor, and Mobile Radio Communications (PMIRC), Washington, DC (2130-2134), http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/articleDetails.jsp?arnumber=7136524&filte...(p_Publication_Number:7116213)
Forest Harrington, Paul Jaffe (2013). Sandwich Module Characterization for Space Solar Power. Paper presented at the 29th Symposium on Space Technology and Science, Nagoya-Aichi, Japan. http://archive.ists.or.jp/upload_pdf/2013-q-07.pdf
P. Jaffe, C. Person, M. Nurnberger, B. Nguyen, D. Scheiman, A. Han, G. Stewart, M. Moses (2013). Space Solar Power Sandwich Module Testing and Performance Characterization. Proceedings of the 64th International Astronautical Congress 2013 (IAC 2013). Paper presented at the 64th International Astronautical Congress, Beijing (6634-6642). Paris: International Astronautical Federation.
Stephen J. Blank, Stephen J. Leete, Paul Jaffe (2013). Feasibility Study of Space Based Solar Power to Tethered Aerostat Systems. Proceedings of the 2013 IEEE Aerospace Conference. Paper presented at the 2013 IEEE Aerospace Conference, Big Sky, MT. New Jersey: IEEE.
Paul Jaffe (2013). Sandwich Module Testing for Space Solar Power. Proceedings of the 2013 IEEE Aerospace Conference. Paper presented at the 2013 IEEE Aerospace Conference, Big Sky, MT. New Jersey: IEEE.
Paul I. Jaffe, Jason E. Hodkin, Forest L. Harrington, Clark E. Person, Michael W. Nurnberger, Bang N. Nguyen, Susie N. Lacava, David A. Scheiman, Grant L. Stewart, Andrew J. Han, Ethan P. Hettwer, Daniel Rhoades (2012). Sandwich Module Prototype Progress for Space Solar Power. Proceedings of the International Astronautical Congress 2012 (IAC 2012). Paper presented at the International Astronautical Congress, Naples. Paris: International Astronautical Federation.
Paul I. Jaffe, David A Scheiman, Karina Hemmendinger (2012). Testing a Small Energy Conversion Module Under Multiple Suns in Vacuum. Proceedings of the 27th Space Simulation conference 2012. Paper presented at the 27th Space Simulation Conference 2012, Annapolis (455-466). Arlington Heights, IL: Institute of Environmental Sciences and Technology.
Paul I. Jaffe, Jason E. Hodkin, Forest L. Harrington (2012). Development of a Sandwich Module Prototype for Space Solar Power. Proceedings of the 2012 IEEE Aerospace Conference. Paper presented at the 2012 IEEE Aerospace Conference, Big Sky, MT. New Jersey: IEEE.
Sheleen M. Spencer, Bang N. Nguyen, Paul Jaffe (2012). Thermal Analysis of Space-Based Solar Power System Study Photovoltaic DC to RF Antenna Module (PRAM). Proceedings of the 10th Annual International Energy Conversion Engineering Conference. Paper presented at the 10th Annual International Energy Conversions Engineering Conference, Atlanta (636-643). Reston, VA: AIAA.
Paul Jaffe, John Pasour, Maria Gonzalez, Sheleen Spencer, Michael Nurnberger, Jeremy Dunay, Marty Scherr, Phillip Jenkins (2011). Sandwich Module Development for Space Solar Power.
Paul Jaffe, Eric Rossland, Eric Bradley, Greg Clifford, Herb Axe (2011). TacSat-4: SpaceWire for Responsive Integration and Launch. Proceedings of the 2011 International SpaceWire Conference. Paper presented at the 2011 International SpaceWire Conference, San Antonio, TX (181-184). Dundee: Space Technology Centre.
Paul I. Jaffe, Sean P. Lynch, Jolyon B. Zook (2011). “Lessons from 5 Years of Space Plug & Play Avionics (SPA) Device Development with High School Students.” Proceedings of the AIAA/USU Conference on Small Satellites, The Next Generation, SSC11-XII-87. http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/smallsat/2011/all2011/87/.
Paul Jaffe (2010). A Study of Defense Applications of Space Solar Power. In Glen A. Robertson (Ed.), AIP Conference Proceedings Volume 1208: Space Propulsion & Energy Sciences International Forum SPESIF-2010. Paper presented at the AIP Conference, Huntsville, AL (585-592). Melville, NY: IASSPES.
Paul Jaffe (2009). Recent Studies of Space Solar Power at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. Paper presented at International Symposium on Solar Energy from Space, Toronto, Canada.
Ramon Krosley, Paul Jaffe, Brian Davis, Ken Center, Louis Marketos, Roderick Green, David Babich (2009). Prototyping of ORS Phase III and SPA Standards Using Common Hardware. Paper presented at AIAA/7th Responsive Space® Conference, Los Angeles.
Christopher Badgett, Nicholas Merski, Michael Hurley, Paul Jaffe, Hallie Walden, Alan Lopez, Michael Pierce, David Kaufman (2009). STP-SIV and ORS ISET Spacecraft-To-Payload Interface Standards. Proceedings of the 2009 IEEE Aerospace Conference. Paper presented at the 2009 IEEE Aerospace Conference, Big Sky, MT. New Jersey: IEEE.
Bill Amatucci, Jason Anderson, Steve Arnold, John Bowen, Joe Carroll, Shannon Coffey, Christopher Compton, George Gatling, Steve Huynh, Paul Jaffe, Bernard Kelm, Steve Koss, John McGahagan, Erik Tejero, Adam Thurn (2009). CE2: A CubeSat Electron Collector Experiment. In Alan M. Segerman, Peter C. Lai, Matthew P. Wilkins and Mark E. Pittelkau (Eds.), Proceedings of the 19th AAS/AIAA Spaceflight Mechanics Meeting. Paper presented at the 19th AAS/AIAA Spaceflight Mechanics Meeting, Savannah, GA. Escondido, CA: Univelt.
Paul Jaffe, Keith Leisses (2008). Implementation of a Very Low Cost Portable SpaceWire Monitor and Debugger. Proceedings of the 2008 International SpaceWire Conference. Paper presented at the 2008 International SpaceWire Conference, Nara, Japan. Dundee: Space Technology Centre.
Ramon Krosley, Brian Davis, Paul Jaffe (2008). Operationally Responsive Space Data Interface Standards and Prototypes Employing SpaceWire. Proceedings of the 2008 International SpaceWire Conference. Paper presented at the 2008 International SpaceWire Conference, Nara, Japan. Dundee: Space Technology Centre.
Derek Schierlmann, Eric Rossland, Paul Jaffe (2008). Lessons Learned from Implementing Non Standard SpaceWire Cabling for TacSat-4. Proceedings of the 2008 International SpaceWire Conference. Paper presented at the 2008 International SpaceWire Conference, Nara, Japan. Dundee: Space Technology Centre.
Paul Jaffe, Trevor Specht, Gurpartap S Sandhoo, Mark Johnson, William Raynor, Michael Hurley, Patrick A Stadter, Paul D Schwartz, Brian Davis, James Griswold (2008). TacSat-4 Prototype Bus & ORS Phase III Bus Standards Update Proceedings of the AIAA/USU Conference on Small Satellites, The Big Business of Small Space, SSC08-I-2. http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/smallsat/2008/all2008/3/.
Derek Schierlmann, Paul Jaffe (2007). SpaceWire Cabling in an Operationally Responsive Space Environment. Proceedings of the International SpaceWire Conference Dundee. Paper presented at the 2007 International SpaceWire Conference, Dundee. University of Dundee: IEEE.
Paul Jaffe, Greg Clifford, Jeff Summers (2007) SpaceWire for Operationally Responsive Space as part of TacSat-4. Proceedings of the International SpaceWire Conference Dundee. Paper presented at the 2007 International SpaceWire Conference, Dundee. University of Dundee: IEEE.
Clifford Kimmery, Patrick McGuirk, Glenn Rakow, Paul Jaffe, Allison Bertrand, Robert Klar (2007). Application of the SpaceWire Plug-and-Play Protocol. Proceedings of the International SpaceWire Conference Dundee. Paper presented at the 2007 International SpaceWire Conference, Dundee. University of Dundee: IEEE.
Patrick McGuirk, Glenn Rakow, Clifford Kimmery, Paul Jaffe, Robert Klar, Allison Bertrand (2007). “SpaceWire Plug-and-Play (PnP)”, AIAA Infotech@Aerospace 2007 Conference and Exhibit, Infotech@Aerospace Conferences, (http://dx.doi.org/10.2514/6.2007-2917).
Glenn Rakow, Patrick McGuirk, Clifford Kimmery, Paul Jaffe (2007). SpaceWire Plug ‘n’ Play. Proceedings of the 2007 IEEE Aerospace Conference. Paper presented at the 2007 IEEE Aerospace Conference, Big Sky, MT. New Jersey: IEEE.
A. C. Nicholas, S. E. Thonnard, P. C. Kalmanson, K. M. Weldy, T. Duffey, P. Jaffe, S. Lynch, P. Walker, K. Dymond, S. Budzien (2005). Modification to the Special Sensor Ultraviolet Limb Imagers. Proceedings of the SPIE, Volume 5901 Solar Physics and Space Weather Instrumentation. Paper presented at the 2005 SPIE, San Diego (151-160). SPIE
Jay Raymond, Greg Glaros, Patrick Stadter, Cheryl Reed, Eric Finnegan, Michael Hurley, Charlie Merk, Tom Kawecki, Chris Garner, Paul Jaffe (2005). A TacSat Update and the ORS/JWS Standardized Bus Paper presented at AIAA/5th Responsive Space® Conference, Los Angeles.
Technical Reports
P. Jaffe et al., “Opportunities and Challenges for Space Solar for Remote Installations,” U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC U.S.A., Memo Report NRL/MR/8243--19-9813, Oct. 2019. Accessed: Apr. 21, 2020. [Online]. Available: https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/AD1082903.pdf
W. N. Johnson, K. Akins, J. Armstrong, K. Cheung, G. Henshaw, S. Huynh, P. Jaffe, M. Long, M. Mook, M. Osborn, R. Skalitzky, F. Tasker, J. Dahlburg, M. N. Lovelette, R. Bartolo, K. Williams, M. Dorsey, D. Gubser, P. Jenkins, S. Messenger, J. Pasour, R. Walters, N. Smith, W. Boncyk, M. Brown, D. Huber (2009). Space-based Solar Power: Possible Defense Applications and Opportunities for NRL Contribution. Naval Research Laboratory NRL/FR/7650--09-10,179. 4555 Overlook Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20375-5320.
Patents
Jaffe, Paul, Michael Nurnberger, and Michael Brown. Thermally Efficient Power Conversion Modules for Space Solar Power. The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy, assignee. Patent 9,276,148. 1 March 2016.