Solar power from space: First tests started in China

Solar energy directly from space, transmitted to earth via microwaves. A space project to this end was launched in China back in June. Now, initial tests are underway for the solar power plant in space.

China tests solar power from space

China has already launched the first base station for generating solar power from space. The Tiangong space station will serve as the first test station for the planned solar power plant and is expected to take a key position in solar power generation, according to China Morning Post.

Similar projects have been underway in the UK, South Korea, Japan and the US for some time, but China is furthest along with testing and continues to toil on the project despite horrendous costs.

In an initial test, solar energy is to be captured from the space station and sent to the Earth’s surface via microwave beams. Apparently, the radiation could be precisely controlled and reach almost any place on Earth.

As FutureZone reports, the Chinese solar power plant in space is expected to be about a kilometer in diameter and allow gigawatt-scale microwaves to be sent to Earth.

Controversial Project

However, the project is considered controversial for many reasons. On the one hand, the solar power plant in space is associated with horrendous costs, while regular operation does not seem possible until the year 2050 or later. On the other hand, scientists fear that the microwave beams could also be used as a weapon due to their sheer amount of energy and pinpoint control.

Either way, China is unlikely to be impressed and will continue to push ahead with the space project. Work in space is also continuing within the EU, with plans to relocate data centers to space in order to achieve a reduction in CO2 emissions, among other things. Among other things, because many server farms on Earth are eliminated, but also because the data centers could supply themselves with solar energy at low cost due to their proximity to the sun.