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Solar power has become increasingly commonplace on Earth but it can be limited by nighttime hours and atmospheric conditions. In space, where there is no night, no day, and no clouds, solar power can produce much higher volumes of energy.
That’s the main idea behind an emerging project at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). A group of researchers at the school are building a massive satellite that can harvest solar power and then wirelessly beam it back down to Earth, which could potentially provide electricity to the places that need it most.
Right now, the team at Caltech is focused on three key elements of the project. The first is developing lightweight photovoltaics that can handle the conditions in space. The second is building technology capable of turning direct current power into radio frequency power that can be sent down to Earth as microwaves. Finally, the team needs an ultralight structure that can support everything and aim the energy microwaves to where they’re needed.
Caltech is creating sunlight-gathering tiles that are roughly the size of a slice of bread. But once hundreds of thousands of them are working together in orbit, it will create a solar panel that would measure 3.5 square miles or approximately 1,700 football fields.
The researchers involved with the project acknowledged that such technology would have seemed far-fetched in the recent past but now it’s closer to reality than ever. In December, the team plans to test launch a prototype into space.
It’s likely still years from becoming a viable energy source but if the project does get up and running, it would be a substantial source of renewable energy. The team said that a solar power operation in space, with unfettered access to the sun, could produce eight times more energy than similar earthbound setups.
Image Credit: Caltech
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