Sending power from space The European Space Agency seeks fund | Tech for Good

Sending power from space

The European Space Agency seeks funding for a feasibility study of space-based solar power (SBSP).

SBSP is collecting solar power in outer space by solar power satellites (SPS). Then distributing it to Earth. The god news about the tech are:
- atmosphere does not reflect and absorb sun's energy = we can collect more;
- there is no (or very little) night in space = more energy;
- we can better face the sun with a satellite = more energy again.

There are also bad news though. Scientists call them the current technological hurdles.

SBSP convert sunlight to other form of energy such as microwaves. Then transmits it through the atmosphere to receivers on the Earth's surface:

- It costs a lot of money to build and launch a solar power satellite;
- the satellite's life in space is not easy. It degrades from radiation and can get damage from micrometeoroids;
- the efficiency of wireless power transition has to be 85%. To achieve that, the antenna receiver has to be 10 km in diameter. That's a lot of land and money.

Despite a lot of challenges and questionable economic efficiency, the researches continue.

Finding a feasible solution would allow not only get a new source of renewable energy on Earth. There are also plans to send energy from satellites or from Earth to the Moon to power future lunar missions.

#space #solar #future