Space chiefs are to investigate whether electricity could be beamed wirelessly from orbit into millions of homes. The European Space Agency will this week likely approve a three-year study to see if having huge solar farms in space could work and be cost effective. The eventual aim is to have giant satellites in orbit, each able to generate the same amount of electricity as a power station. The programme is one of a number of proposals being considered by ministers at Esa's triennial council, which will decide the budget for the next phase of the space agency's plans for space exploration, environmental monitoring and communications. Josef Aschbacher, who is Esa's director general, told BBC News that he believed that solar power from space could be of ''enormous'' help to address future energy shortages. ''We do need to convert into carbon neutral economies and therefore change the way we produce energy and especially reduce the fossil fuel part of our energy production," he said. ''If you can do it from space, and I'm saying if we could, because we are not there yet, this would be absolutely fantastic because it would solve a lot of problems." The Sun's energy can be collected much more efficiently in space because there is neither night nor clouds. The idea has been around for more than 50 years, but it has been too difficult and too expensive to implement, until maybe now. The game-changer has been the plummeting cost of launches, thanks to reusable rockets and other innovations developed by the private sector. But there have also been advances in robotic construction in space and the development of technology to wirelessly beam electricity from space to Earth. Esa is seeking funds from its member nations for a research programme it calls Solaris, to see if these developments mean that it is now possible to develop spaced-based solar power reliably and cheaply enough to make it economically viable. "The idea of space-based solar power is no longer science fiction," according to Esa's Dr Sanjay Vijendran, who is the scientist leading the Solaris initiative, "The potential is there and we now need to really understand the technological path before a decision can be made to go ahead with trying to build something in space." please log in to view this image A key focus of the Solaris programme is to establish whether it is possible to transfer the solar energy collected in space to electricity grids on Earth. This can't of course be done with an extremely long cable, so it has to be sent wirelessly, using microwave beams. The Solaris team has already shown that is is possible in principle to transmit electricity wirelessly safely and efficiently. Engineers sent 2 KW of power collected from solar cells wirelessly to collectors more than 30 metres away at a demonstration at the aerospace firm, Airbus in Munich in September. It will be a big step up to send gigawatts of power over thousands of miles, but according to Jean Dominique Coste, who is a senior manager for Airbus's blue sky division, it could be achieved in a series of small steps. ''Our team of scientists have found no technical show-stoppers to prevent us from having space-based solar power," he said. Dr Ray Simpkin, who is the chief scientist of Emrod, the firm that developed the wireless beaming system, said that the technology was safe. ''Nothing will get fried,'' he told BBC News. "The power is spread out over a such a large area that even at its peak intensity in the centre of the beam it will not be hazardous to animals or humans." please log in to view this image A UK government assessment, independent of the Esa plan, concluded that it might be possible to have a satellite capable of producing the same amount of electricity as a power station, around 2 GW, by 2040, which is in line with Esa's own estimates. But, according to Dr Vijendran, with increased funding and greater political support it could be done within a decade.
Tesla had a breakthrough on this but the big American companies blocked and destroyed it because they would have had no profits
That's a good point you've highlighted. On the other hand imagine a world where there's little or no cost for energy AND it's 100% clean.
Great, now we will have the Chinese, Russians and big bad Americans arguing who owns what in space or evolution will find we've been microwaving our brains as a result and we've all turned into a bunch of cabbages. Anyway, more seriously, I'd be interested to know what such an idea could help us achieve in space exploration than what it could achieve for us on earth - spaceships powered by microwaves, ping!
My thoughts too, sadly. Reminds me of an old Alec Guiness film called The Man In The White Suit about a man who invents a type of material that never deteriorates or wears out. He thinks everyone will love his invention but all the industries plot against him. Always stuck in my head as a cynical reminder of the real world.
Well for a start Russia and the Middle East. would not be able to buy World Cups or countries and as an extra bonus America would be a third world country still relying on the Buffalo Bill circus to remind people they actually exist The American bit is wishful thinking
Yep that's the one. In the final scene the business owners, the workers, all are hunting him down in the streets. They finally corner him and someone grabs him by the sleeve and it comes away. In the end the material fails. Probably what will happen with this space solar energy plan
There'll always be opportunities for mega money to be made from it. They'll find a way. See the "free internet" for an example.
That was sort of the precept of a novel by Ben Elton in the 80s when a guy invents an engine that can run cleanly on water. I read it, and being Ben Elton (who I adore) all the characters are two-dimensional cut-outs and the plots are as subtle as Semtex, but the basic conceit was fascinating and decades ahead of the curve. Can't remember what it was called though.
Well they've kept it from us for a hundred years......no wonder they know the path they wanna lead us down....they own our futures if we follow their rules and business idea only there 2 benefit themselves
