This appears to be the first successful attempt since the idea of space-based solar power was originally proposed 55 years ago
The idea of solar energy being transmitted from space is not a new one. In 1968, a NASA engineer named Peter Glaser produced the first concept design for a solar-powered satellite.
But only now, 55 years later, does it appear scientists have actually carried out a successful experiment.
A team of researchers from Caltech announced on Thursday that their space-borne prototype, called the Space Solar Power Demonstrator (SSPD-1), had collected sunlight, converted it into electricity and beamed it to microwave receivers installed on a rooftop on Caltech’s Pasadena campus.
The experiment also proves that the setup, which launched on January 3, is capable of surviving the trip to space, along with the harsh environment of space itself.
“To the best of our knowledge, no one has ever demonstrated wireless energy transfer in space even with expensive rigid structures. We are doing it with flexible lightweight structures and with our own integrated circuits. This is a first,” said Ali Hajimiri, professor of electrical engineering and medical engineering and co-director of Caltech’s Space Solar Power Project (SSPP), in a press release published on Thursday.
The experiment — known in full as Microwave Array for Power-transfer Low-orbit Experiment (or MAPLE for short) — is one of three research projects being carried out aboard the SSPD-1. The effort involved two separate receiver arrays and lightweight microwave transmitters with custom chips, according to Caltech.
In its press release, the team added that the transmission setup was designed to minimize the amount of fuel needed to send them to space, and that the design also needed to be flexible enough so that the transmitters could be folded up onto a rocket.
Space-based solar power has long been something of a holy grail in the scientific community. Although expensive in its current form, the technology carries the promise of potentially unlimited renewable energy, with solar panels in space able to collect sunlight regardless of the time of day.
The use of microwaves to transmit power would also mean that cloud cover wouldn’t pose an interference, as Nikkeinotes.
Caltech’s Space Solar Power Project (SSSP) is hardly the only team that has been attempting to make space-based solar power a reality. Late last month, a few days before Caltech’s announcement, Japan’s space agency, JAXA, announced a public-private partnership that aims to send solar power from space by 2025.
The leader of that project, a Kyoto University professor, has been working on space-based solar power since 2009. Japan also had a breakthrough of its own nearly a decade ago in 2015, when JAXA scientists transmitted 1.8 kilowatts of power — about enough energy to power an electric kettle — more than 50 meters to a wireless receiver.
The Space Solar Power Project was founded back in 2011. In addition to MAPLE, the SSPD-1 is being used to assess what types of cells are the most effective in surviving the conditions of space.
The third experiment is known as DOLCE (Deployable on-Orbit ultraLight Composite Experiment), a structure measuring six-by-six feet that “demonstrates the architecture, packaging scheme, and deployment mechanisms of the modular spacecraft,” according to Caltech. It has not yet been deployed.
Japan and JAXA, the country’s space administration, have spent decades trying to make it possible to beam solar energy from space. In 2015, the nation made a breakthrough when JAXA scientists successfully beamed 1.8 kilowatts of power, enough energy to power an electric kettle, more than 50 meters to a wireless receiver.
Now, Japan is poised to bring the technology one step closer to reality.
Nikkei reports a Japanese public-private partnership will attempt to beam solar energy from space as early as 2025. The project, led by Naoki Shinohara, a Kyoto University professor who has been working on space-based solar energy since 2009, will attempt to deploy a series of small satellites in orbit.
Those will then try to beam the solar energy the arrays collect to ground-based receiving stations hundreds of miles away.
Using orbital solar panels and microwaves to send energy to Earth was first proposed in 1968. Since then, a few countries, including China and the US, have spent time and money pursuing the idea.
The technology is appealing because orbital solar arrays represent a potentially unlimited renewable energy supply. In space, solar panels can collect energy no matter the time of day, and by using microwaves to beam the power they produce, clouds aren’t a concern either.
However, even if Japan successfully deploys a set of orbital solar arrays, the tech would still be closer to science fiction than fact. That’s because producing an array that can generate 1 gigawatt of power – or about the output of one nuclear reactor – would cost about $7 billion with currently available technologies.
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Beaming energy to Earth is one thing, beaming enough, and being able to reliably receive it reliably to even make a difference is another. Not forgetting it all will depend on fossil fuel to establish, and the solar arrays will be enormous if it’s to be useful. Sounds expensive, as well as the usual downside – The planet has to suffer to make it work. Pointless.
Still gates might jump at it as a means to block sunlight to anywhere that he doesn’t frequent.
“Green Prince of Darkness EXPOSED” at principia-scientific.org > photovoltaic cells work by one time, one way molecular erosion that never produces 1% of the investment energy needed to produce these eco trinkets. Every change of state involves energy loss, per the Carnot Cycle. DC to microwave to AC are all energy losers. Microwave radiation is dangerous for insects, birds and airplanes, unless you are intentionally deploying a DIRECTED ENERGY WEAPONS SYSTEM
How is this a first? Any satellite that is solar powered and sends radio signals to the Earth is transmitting solar energy to the Earth. The fact that satellites block more energy from reaching the Earth then they send to it doesn’t seem to matter. Like solar panels and windmills they consume more energy than they produce and are really a way to produce income not energy.
The Earth going around the Sun is kept in place by gravity. This is an example of an elastic link, as opposed to a fixed link like a bike spoke. There is an important difference between the two, because an elastic link takes energy to operate.
The energy required on Earth shows up as an expanding earth. I have tried to physically evaluate this phenomena by using different harmonic cycles. The most interesting result shows at Figure 10, https://bosmin.com/PSL/GRAVIPOWER.pdf
Here the rate of decelerating spin was the lowest when the harmonic cycle was only 0.1Hz for a wave length of 3,000,000 Km. It certainly did not result in the disc spinning up, but it was an interesting finding.
Comments welcome.
Hi Robert,
Satellites are not kept in place by elastic links. They remain in orbit because they are in equilibrium with the energy being radiated by the host object. In order for them to move into a higher orbit they must gain energy or to a lower orbit by losing energy. Newton’s law that an object will continue in a straight line unless a force (transfer of energy) acts upon it, is wrong. An object in equilibrium will maintain its energy until energy is added to it or lost by it.
Herb
Hi Herb,
I note “they (satellites) are in equilibrium with the energy being radiated by the host object”.
Do you have a proposal for harnessing some of that energy?
Hi Robert,
Energy flows from higher to lower trying to attain equilibrium. Once equilibrium is achieved and the force stops, energy is stable. To harness any energy there must be flow which ceases when equilibrium is achieved. How do you preserve an unbalance in order to continue to add energy?
Herb
Hi Herb,
If you have an orbiting satellite following an elliptical path, there is never an “equilibrium”, only a flow of energy in and out. This is an elastic link.
Hi Robert,
When the distance is greater the velocity is slower. Kepler law says any satellite will create a pie slice of equal area for the same unit of time no matter where it is in the ellipse.
Have you considered comets and their “elastic links”?
Herb
Hi Herb,
An elastic link includes a reciprocating change from potential to kinetic energy. A fix link, such as a spoke, has no similar reciprocation. The challenge is for a proposal which diverts some of the reciprocating energy flow, for our utilisation. Any suggestions to do this will add to my findings reported previously. Your thoughts on this aspect are welcome.
Hi Robert,
There is no potential energy. It is just an invention trying to explain the inconsistencies and contradictions of the theory of gravity. There is field of radiated energy coming from objects that decreases with distance (Kepler’s Law dv^2 = C) and objects in those fields will equalize with it.
According to the theory of gravity there is a different force (MsunMobject)) between the sun and every object in the solar system. This force is specific to that object and when Mercury passes through the huge force between the sun and Jupiter, it is unaffected or when the Earth blocks all the light from the sun from striking the moon, the gravitational force between the sun and moon is unaffected.
You need to explain how it is that when the moon and sun are aligned on one side of the Earth and all the gravitational force is going in one direction, gravity causes the water on the far side of the Earth to expand against that force. The explanation of deviation from the average vector is stupid. Vectors add and subtract, they do not average. Energy fields, gravity and magnetism, do add creating a stronger field on the opposite side of the Earth which the water equalizes with.
Herb
incorporated for charitable purposes. Head Office: 27 Old Gloucester Street, London WC1N 3AX.
Howdy
| #
Beaming energy to Earth is one thing, beaming enough, and being able to reliably receive it reliably to even make a difference is another. Not forgetting it all will depend on fossil fuel to establish, and the solar arrays will be enormous if it’s to be useful. Sounds expensive, as well as the usual downside – The planet has to suffer to make it work. Pointless.
Still gates might jump at it as a means to block sunlight to anywhere that he doesn’t frequent.
Reply
Joseph Olson
| #
“Green Prince of Darkness EXPOSED” at principia-scientific.org > photovoltaic cells work by one time, one way molecular erosion that never produces 1% of the investment energy needed to produce these eco trinkets. Every change of state involves energy loss, per the Carnot Cycle. DC to microwave to AC are all energy losers. Microwave radiation is dangerous for insects, birds and airplanes, unless you are intentionally deploying a DIRECTED ENERGY WEAPONS SYSTEM
Reply
Herb Rose
| #
How is this a first? Any satellite that is solar powered and sends radio signals to the Earth is transmitting solar energy to the Earth. The fact that satellites block more energy from reaching the Earth then they send to it doesn’t seem to matter. Like solar panels and windmills they consume more energy than they produce and are really a way to produce income not energy.
Reply
Robert Beatty
| #
The Earth going around the Sun is kept in place by gravity. This is an example of an elastic link, as opposed to a fixed link like a bike spoke. There is an important difference between the two, because an elastic link takes energy to operate.
The energy required on Earth shows up as an expanding earth. I have tried to physically evaluate this phenomena by using different harmonic cycles. The most interesting result shows at Figure 10, https://bosmin.com/PSL/GRAVIPOWER.pdf
Here the rate of decelerating spin was the lowest when the harmonic cycle was only 0.1Hz for a wave length of 3,000,000 Km. It certainly did not result in the disc spinning up, but it was an interesting finding.
Comments welcome.
Reply
Herb Rose
| #
Hi Robert,
Satellites are not kept in place by elastic links. They remain in orbit because they are in equilibrium with the energy being radiated by the host object. In order for them to move into a higher orbit they must gain energy or to a lower orbit by losing energy. Newton’s law that an object will continue in a straight line unless a force (transfer of energy) acts upon it, is wrong. An object in equilibrium will maintain its energy until energy is added to it or lost by it.
Herb
Reply
Robert Beatty
| #
Hi Herb,
I note “they (satellites) are in equilibrium with the energy being radiated by the host object”.
Do you have a proposal for harnessing some of that energy?
Reply
Herb Rose
| #
Hi Robert,
Energy flows from higher to lower trying to attain equilibrium. Once equilibrium is achieved and the force stops, energy is stable. To harness any energy there must be flow which ceases when equilibrium is achieved. How do you preserve an unbalance in order to continue to add energy?
Herb
Reply
Robert Beatty
| #
Hi Herb,
If you have an orbiting satellite following an elliptical path, there is never an “equilibrium”, only a flow of energy in and out. This is an elastic link.
Herb Rose
| #
Hi Robert,
When the distance is greater the velocity is slower. Kepler law says any satellite will create a pie slice of equal area for the same unit of time no matter where it is in the ellipse.
Have you considered comets and their “elastic links”?
Herb
Robert Beatty
| #
Hi Herb,
An elastic link includes a reciprocating change from potential to kinetic energy. A fix link, such as a spoke, has no similar reciprocation. The challenge is for a proposal which diverts some of the reciprocating energy flow, for our utilisation. Any suggestions to do this will add to my findings reported previously. Your thoughts on this aspect are welcome.
Reply
Herb Rose
| #
Hi Robert,
There is no potential energy. It is just an invention trying to explain the inconsistencies and contradictions of the theory of gravity. There is field of radiated energy coming from objects that decreases with distance (Kepler’s Law dv^2 = C) and objects in those fields will equalize with it.
According to the theory of gravity there is a different force (MsunMobject)) between the sun and every object in the solar system. This force is specific to that object and when Mercury passes through the huge force between the sun and Jupiter, it is unaffected or when the Earth blocks all the light from the sun from striking the moon, the gravitational force between the sun and moon is unaffected.
You need to explain how it is that when the moon and sun are aligned on one side of the Earth and all the gravitational force is going in one direction, gravity causes the water on the far side of the Earth to expand against that force. The explanation of deviation from the average vector is stupid. Vectors add and subtract, they do not average. Energy fields, gravity and magnetism, do add creating a stronger field on the opposite side of the Earth which the water equalizes with.
Herb
Reply