China wants to generate energy in space and build a solar power plant there. The project has gigantic dimensions.
Climate change has long since become a crisis, if not a catastrophe. Coal, gas and oil are potent sources of energy, but finite resources. On top of that, they destroy our environment. solar power helps. That is known. What is new is that the People’s Republic of China wants to launch a solar power plant in space in 2028.
Electricity from space: China wants to use satellites to transmit solar energy wirelessly
The “South China Morning Post” reported on this, which in turn refers to studies in the journal “Chinese Space Science and Technology”. China initially wants to go wireless with a satellite solar power transmitted from an altitude of 400 kilometers.
president | Xi Jinping |
ISO code | CHN |
Surface | 9,597,000 km² |
population | 1.412 billion people |
currency | Renminbi |
gross domestic product | Around $17.46 trillion |
China is building the first solar power plant in space: the power should eventually supply numerous households
Solar energy is to be converted into microwaves or lasers and directed towards the earth or moving satellites. Overall, the first space solar power plant should have an output of ten kilowatts. However, initially only a few households can be supplied with energy.
According to “ntv”, however, the performance can be expanded. Solar power plants could therefore make “an effective contribution” to achieving climate neutrality. However, it is likely to be difficult to build the power plant. Chinese Space Science and Technology notes that transferring energy efficiently and accurately is not easy.
China’s solar power plant in space: There are still a few hurdles for energy supply on earth
A gigantic infrastructure would also have to be built in Earth orbit. asteroids or space debris could also damage the power plant. And it will still be a few years before the solar power plant can deliver full output.
China is planning further power plant satellites – with an enormous energy output of two gigawatts
Another, more powerful satellite is to be launched in 2030. Five years later, the power plant’s output is to increase to ten megawatts – to supply energy for civil and military purposes. After all, it should deliver two gigawatts of power in 2050. That would be more than the most powerful nuclear power plant on earth can offer.
#Solar #energy #space