Photovoltaic power in space is closer to becoming a reality than we previously thought. I’m not referring to spacecraft powered by solar panels, which have been in use since the early days of the space race. Instead, I’m talking about solar farms that capture sunlight from orbit to generate electricity for use on Earth. They might soon become a reality.
A constant and inexhaustible flow of clean energy. The concept of generating solar energy in space has been around since the 1980s. A heliosynchronous orbit provides a steady supply of power from the Sun, unaffected by nighttime and weather conditions on Earth.
Until now, space solar power has often been viewed as a futuristic and almost science fiction-like idea that would take years, if not decades, to implement. However, with innovative approaches inspired by new satellite constellations, the American company Aetherflux is promising to make this vision a reality within just a couple of years.
From cryptocurrencies to space. Baiju Bhatt, the co-founder of cryptocurrency trading platform Robinhood, recently launched Aetherflux to demonstrate the viability of solar power in space over the next two years.
“Our approach is very different,” he told Ars Technica. “It’s beyond my creativity how to bootstrap something that’s going to be the size of a small city in geostationary space, and I think that’s one of the reasons why the idea has died on the vine. I also think it’s one of the reasons why there is skepticism about the idea of space-based solar power.”
With an initial investment of $10 million, Aetherflux plans to launch a prototype into low-Earth orbit at an altitude of about 310 miles within the next 15 months.
The technology. Aetherflux will launch the prototype on a satellite bus manufactured by Apex. The solar panels will be positioned to face directly at the Sun to generate about 1 kilowatt of power, which is enough to power a household appliance, such as a dishwasher.
For transmitting power from space to Earth, the company will use a high-power infrared laser instead of microwaves, which is the method used in other solutions. The satellite will direct the laser at a mobile ground station around 33 feet in diameter to transmit its energy.
Military interest. Aetherflux is currently in discussions with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, also known as DARPA, the Pentagon’s research and development division, to demonstrate the feasibility of its system. The Department of Defense has been interested in this topic for years.
The initial mission will take place in the coming months. If it succeeds, it could lead to the development of satellite constellations capable of providing continuous power to remote locations, disaster zones, and military facilities.
The challenges. Power conversion and transmission from space face significant losses. Additionally, the energy transmitted must be safe for both people and the environment. A project of this scale will require coordination among multiple countries and government agencies.
Moreover, funding is a major concern. Building and launching a large-scale satellite constellation, even one smaller than Starlink, is exceedingly expensive. Without fully reusable rockets to reduce launch costs, demonstrating the technology will be only the first step on a very steep and challenging path for Aetherflux.
Europe’s example. The European Space Agency (ESA) has been exploring space-based solar power for years as a potential solution to decarbonize the power sector, but the financial aspect remains challenging.
In 2022, an initial technical report revealed that meeting one-third of Europe’s energy needs would require massive satellites and thousands of launches, costing hundreds of billions of dollars. Despite these obstacles, ESA remains committed to investigating the feasibility of this concept through the SOLARIS mission.
Image | Chirayu Trivedi
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