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That’s the stuff of science fiction: solar panels in space that transmit energy directly to Earth, equipping the planet with clean, renewable and affordable energy. Still, it may soon become a reality.
Caltech has just received $ 100 million in funding for its Space Solar Power Project (SSPP). The project is described by Caltech as follows: “Harnessing solar energy in space and transmitting the energy wirelessly to Earth through microwaves enables unaffected Earth energy availability. by weather or time of day. Solar energy could be continuously available anywhere on earth. “
“This ambitious project is a transformative approach to large-scale solar energy harvesting for Earth that overcomes this intermittency and the need for energy storage,” said Harry Atwater, SSPP researcher, in the press release from Caltech on the subject.
Next step
And the SSPP is approaching an important milestone: a test launch of prototypes of multifunctional technology demonstrators that collect sunlight and convert it into electrical energy, transfer the energy wirelessly in free space to the using radio frequency (RF) electrical power and deploying ultralight structures that will be used to integrate them.
The project is not without limits. Currently, researchers are still working on ways to collect enough energy to make it worthwhile. They are also working on ways to convey this energy to the surface so that most of it is not lost on the way down.
But it has huge potential and could see a launch sooner than expected.
“[Launch] is currently expected to be the first quarter of 2023, “said project co-director Ali Hajimiri TechCrunch. “It involves several demonstrators for the spatial verification of the key technologies involved in the effort, namely remote wireless energy transfer, lightweight and flexible photovoltaics, and flexible deployable space structures.”
“The final system should consist of several air-deployable modules in close formation and operating in synchronization with each other,” Hajimiri added. “Each module is several tens of meters square and the system can be built by adding more modules over time.”
Other similar projects are already underway, so time will tell which one gets launched first.
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