NASA liked the idea of the X Prize spaceship competition so much that they are using that same idea to help develop a wireless power transmission system and super strong tethers. The contests will be run by the Spaceward Foundation and will start in October of this year.
You can read more about it at MSNBC … In the most common power-beaming scenario, energy in the form of light or microwaves is transmitted through space from a power source to remote receivers, where photoelectric cells convert the light energy into electricity. NASA has already tested one such system for keeping unmanned air vehicles aloft, and the technology might come in handy for long-duration aerial reconnaissance missions on Mars. The concept also be used for distributing power from, say, a nuclear power station on the moon or Mars to other outposts. As for the tethers, Sponberg said the same super-strong materials could be adapted to make next-generation spacecraft lighter and more resilient. “You can imagine layers of carbon nanotubes being laid down, much like we do with composites today — and that’s what we would take away,” he said.