Imagine an extensive field of solar batteries, starting in a continuous mass of almost a square mile of the Earth. Now transfer this image into space, with a giant structure sitting tens of thousands of miles above the surface of the Earth, and you have the feeling that cosmic solar energy seeks to achieve.
A trip to this energy source comes not only from its advantages compared to land solar energy, but also from the characteristics that distinguish it from most other sources of energy.
Supporters say that this can help in the power part of the world, who are struggling to use more traditional forms of energy – either from their distant location, or because the related infrastructure simply does not exist.
Why did we write this
Sunny panels in space can bring electricity to remote places or in the region, injured from natural disasters. Private companies and others are working on technology clarification.
“Sunny, fusion, nuclear, coal – you call it – you must have a factory somewhere and provide infrastructure for its support,” says Paul Jaffa, a former electronics engineer of the US military -study laboratory. “With Space Solar, you have a potential to redirect energy from a satellite anywhere on Earth.”
The technology is moving
As a sign that the technology goes beyond science fiction, Space Solar, a British startup, which recently wrote a partnership with an Icelandic energy company around the world to ensure solar energy from space by 2030, presenting satellites sufficient for the authorities of about 3,000 houses.
Space Solar also passed another milestone that was the first to demonstrate 360 degrees forces, which means that solar panels can move energy to Earth, regardless of how they rotate to continue to turn to the sun.
Meanwhile, the California startup says that by 2025 he will launch the constellation of the mirror orbit to extend the watch of available sunlight to sunny batteries on Earth.
And last year, a prototype from the California Technological Institute collected solar energy in space and first threw back the detected amount. China and Japan plan to follow their example – by 2028 and 2025, respectively.
“I'm really very optimistic,” says Martin Soltau, co-director and co-founder of Space Solar. “At the moment, the space has much more complex robotics, for example, Mars -Rover – we do not need anything as it is as difficult.”
The idea of cosmic solar energy is to collect the energy of the sun far beyond the vagaries of the weather systems of our planet, and so high that the appearance of the sun of solar panels is almost never overshadowed.
The energy captured by these solar panels will be converted into radio waves (or, in some cases, lasers) and attached to the reception station on the ground using the concept of wireless power transmission, where radio waves, in turn, will be converted into electricity.
In some versions, the equipment will simply act as gigantic mirrors, reflecting the rays of the sun to solar panels on the surface of the planet, which allows them to turn energy into electricity before the Sun strokes them directly in the morning or deeply at dusk.
These designs with sunlight pollution will be incomparable on a scale on a scale for something in orbit: 3000 times higher than the area of the International Space Station, according to the study of NASA representative projects.
Cost is the largest obstacle. Really, NASA report I found that cosmic solar energy can be 12-80 times more expensive than terrestrial alternatives. But the report says that he had to make assumptions because the technology is so new.
“We found that launch and production really prevails in value,” says Erica Rogers, director of advanced programs for managing technology, Politics and NASA Strategy, as well as the leading author of the report.
As for the launch costs, the increase appeared in mid-October, with the fifth testing of SpaceX Starship, the most powerful missile ever built. In the first world, the booster section reached the edge of the space, and then went down to be caught by two steel sleeves on the tower of the launch panel.
Repeated efforts in November were less successful, but the smaller SpaceX Falcon missiles have already demonstrated reuse. Nevertheless, these missiles return to the platforms to the sea and should be towed back to the ground and repaired for several weeks. The desire of the stars for re -tributary for several hours, along with its enormous power, can significantly reduce the cost of access to space.
“A star ship is such an opportunity that will be needed,” says Soltau from Space Solar. “We need to have a number of launching suppliers for stability and maintain their competitive ones, but quickly, this market is developing.”
One of the anxiety that some critics refer is the level of greenhouse gas emissions, which will be carried out by the position of the space system of solar energy in orbit. But in the NASA report, it is concluded that per unit of electricity emissions, the emissions probably correspond to those that are created by constructing ground -based systems of pure energy.
And, although it will probably be expensive, the capabilities of Solar Solar can reduce the cost.
For example, distance production, far from some kind of electric grid, should have paid much more than on average for its power. This may be cheaper to build a reception station for space solar energy, and not to incite the infrastructure or connect to the grid or generate your own strength.
In the same way, after a spontaneous disaster, when the mesh caused catastrophic damage, temporary receivers can be sent for an energy source from space solar plants.
It is in such scenarios, say, some technologies can find their original niche, even if in the early days the costs remain high.
Fears include the impact on human health
But even if the price tag is acceptable, and the technology develops smoothly, there are still problems that cause concern.
The creation of international regulation and standards will be crucial for various reasons. One, Mr. Soltau says, consists in ensuring compatibility “so that, for example, the country in Africa can build an antenna and know that it is built in accordance with the standard so that they can receive power from any satellite of solar energy.”
Other problems include whether the radiating energy to Earth, for example, intervention in communication, or harm to human health.
The frequencies used by cosmic solar waves can be installed on the passing strip, which will lead to minimal disorders for other systems. Operators may guarantee that the equipment used produces the maximum intensity of the beam much lower than all that would be harmful. For example, Space Solar claims that its technology can transfer anything more powerful than a quarter of the sun intensity at noon.
“The analogy here lies in the fact that if you have an electric dryer in your house, which is part of electricity, it would obviously be very dangerous if you did not have insulation and regulatory acts,” says Dr. Jaffa, now in the agency for advanced research defense projects. “Perhaps we will have to do something similar for cosmic solar energy.”
