The solar space station aims at converting solar energy into electricity and microwaves. The energy can be used to power the moving satellites in orbit.
China aims to convert solar energy into electricity to power its satellites in space. (File Pic)
After successfully returning samples from the Moon, landing, and roving on Mars in their first attempt, China is set to launch the first solar-powered plant in space. The project is already in its initial stages and the agency aims to launch it by 2028, two years ahead of the earlier estimated time.
The solar space station aims at converting solar energy into electricity and microwaves. They can be used to power the moving satellites in orbit and may direct the energy beams to Earth at fixed locations through a wireless power transmission.
According to an official release, the study was carried out by a research team from Xidian University. The solar station will be capable of transporting solar energy to Earth and has undergone successful testing in the preliminary stages.
The Space Solar Power Station is likely to be a hotspot technology that will be used in the ongoing project of the expedition to Space for power generation. The power plant will have a capacity of 10 kilowatts.
A look-alike plant is set up at Xidian University by university students and researchers. The tall structure, about 75 meters in height, constitutes five subsystems that look into the solar power arrays. The project is a component of OMEGA (Orb-Shape Membrane Energy Gathering Array), a plan for solar energy generation from space that was unveiled in 2014.
After successfully establishing itself in geostationary orbit, OMEGA’s ultimate objective is to store solar energy. Its conversion to electrical energy is the following process. The final stage is to send it to Earth.
In the Bishan area of Chongqing, a 33-acre testing facility is being constructed to assess the potential of a solar power plant in space.
The facility will research how living things are affected by microwave radiation that is sent back to Earth while also developing space transmission technology, said Xie Gengxin, deputy head of “Chongqing Collaborative Innovation Research Institute for Civil-Military Integration” in an interview with Forbes.
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