Space-based solar power may be one step closer to reality, thanks to this key test (video)

The demonstration, carried out by U.K.-based startup Space Solar, tested a special beaming device that can wirelessly transmit power 360 degrees around. That would be important for a potential future space-based power station, as its position toward the sun and Earth would change over the course of each day due to our planet's rotation.

The demonstrator is a key component of the CASSIOPeiA space-based solar power plant concept that is being developed by Space Solar. The company envisions that CASSIOPeiA could be in space within a decade, providing gigawatts of clean energy much more efficiently than solar plants on Earth. 

"We’re thrilled to be able to demonstrate the next phase in the development of our technology," Martin Soltau, co-CEO of Space Solar, said in an emailed statement. "Space Solar's successful testing of [the 360-degree power-beaming technology] marks a pivotal moment in our mission to revolutionize space-based solar power."

CASSIOPeiA would be placed in geostationary orbit, a path about 22,000 miles (36,000 kilometers) above Earth in which the orbital velocity of a satellite matches the speed of Earth’s rotation. As a result, a spacecraft at this altitude appears suspended above a fixed region on Earth. 

Leave a Comment