China advances plans for space solar power plant
China, Beijing: China has advanced its plans to launch a space solar power plant programme in 2028.
Image source: ET Energy World
China, Beijing: China has advanced its plans to launch a space solar power plant programme in 2028.
This is two years ahead of the original schedule, according to the source.
According to the updated plan, published in the peer-reviewed journal Chinese Space Science and Technology, a satellite will be launched in 2028 to test wireless power transmission technology from space to the ground from an altitude of 400 km, said in a press release.
The generated power is to reach 10 kW, just enough to meet the needs of a few households, but the technology could be significantly scaled up to become “an effective contributor to reaching carbon peak and neutrality goals”, said Professor Dong Shiwei with the National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Space Microwave under the China Academy of Space Technology in Xian, said in the article.
Meanwhile, China is not alone in planning a space solar plant. This year in March, the UK government considered a $20 B (£16 B) proposal to put a pilot solar power plant in space by 2035 with the help of various European defence contractors, including Airbus.
NASA has also disclosed that it is working with the US Air Force on feasibility studies, the report said.
Source: ET Energyworld