Key Highlights :
The future of renewable energy is in the stars. This week, a team of researchers from California Institute of Technology (Caltech) achieved a major milestone in space solar power technology when they demonstrated, for the first time, their ability to wirelessly transmit power in space and beam a detectable amount back to Earth.
The experiment of space solar power is still very much in its prototype stages, but the implications are potentially game-changing. In the same way that the internet democratized access to information, space solar power could democratize access to energy. This means that energy can be sent to remote regions and areas devastated by war or natural disaster without the need for energy transmission infrastructure on the ground.
The project was made possible by the generous backing of California billionaire Donald Bren, who pledged more than $100 million to be paid throughout the lifespan of the project. Northrup Grumman Corporation also contributed $12.5 million to the project. The experiment, known as MAPLE (Microwave Array for Power-transfer Low-orbit Experiment), tested the technology’s ability to successfully direct a beam of energy at a precise location in the harsh environment of space.
Space Solar Power involves collecting solar energy in space, converting that energy into electromagnetic waves and beaming those waves to receivers on Earth. The benefit is that solar cells in space are able to collect eight to nine times more power than solar cells on Earth by eliminating the inefficiencies of atmosphere, seasons and the day-night-cycle.
The successful experiment opens the door to harnessing power from the Sun and sending it to Earth. The project has been fully funded from private sources, developed at a private institution, and the experiments were launched by Momentus, a private aerospace company, mounted aboard a Momentus platform.
The MAPLE experiment demonstrated two key functions: the ability to send a concentrated beam of energy to receivers at will and the possibility of beaming power to a specific location on Earth. Caltech President Thomas F. Rosenbaum said the milestone foreshadows “a remarkable payoff for humanity: a world powered by uninterruptible renewable energy.”
The SSPP team envisions a future where fleets of thousands of lightweight solar satellites orbit the globe, collecting solar energy and beaming it down to receivers on the ground. Alongside the MAPLE experiment, the Momentus satellite also holds experiments testing ultralight photovoltaic technologies and flexible, lightweight spacecraft structures, both of which will be integral for the realization of this vision.
The successful experiment of space solar power is an exciting milestone in the development of renewable energy technology. With the backing of California billionaire Donald Bren, the project has the potential to revolutionize the way we access energy and to provide power to remote regions and areas devastated by war or natural disaster. The MAPLE experiment has opened the door to harnessing power from the Sun and sending it to Earth, and the future of renewable energy is looking brighter than ever.