Home Science Solar power may come from space panels due to technological advances.

Solar power may come from space panels due to technological advances.

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Installing solar panels in space means you can collect the sun's rays no matter the weather. And supporters say the solar panels could provide power to remote areas of the world that may not have infrastructure.

Technology is advancing:

Why did we write this?

Space-based solar panels have the potential to bring electrical power to remote areas or areas affected by natural disasters. Private companies and other companies Work is being done to improve this technology.

British startup Space Solar aims to provide enough solar power for around 3,000 homes by 2030.

A California startup says it will launch a constellation of orbiting mirrors by 2025 to extend sunlight to solar panels on Earth.

And last year A prototype from the California Institute of Technology captures energy returned from space for the first time. China and Japan plan to follow suit by 2028 and 2025, respectively.

Energy captured in space is converted into radio waves. (or laser) and send the signal to a receiving station on Earth for conversion into electricity. Or the hardware will act as a giant mirror. Reflecting the sun's rays onto solar panels on the planet's surface before the sun hits it directly in the morning or deep in the twilight.

Cost is a barrier: A recent NASA report found that solar power in space can be 12 to 80 times more expensive than terrestrial alternatives, but the latest test flight of SpaceX's Starship shows that costs can be lowered.

Imagine a vast array of solar panels. Arranged in rows across an area of ​​nearly a square mile. Now shift that image to outer space. It is a giant structure tens of thousands of miles from the Earth's surface. And you can get a feel for what space solar energy is trying to achieve.

Driving this energy source is not only due to its advantages over land-based solar energy. But it also comes from the characteristics that make this energy source different from most other energy sources.

Proponents say it can help power various parts. of the world trying to access more traditional forms of energy It may be because of the remote area. or because there is no relevant infrastructure

Why did we write this?

Space-based solar panels have the potential to bring electrical power to remote areas or areas affected by natural disasters. Private companies and other companies Work is being done to improve this technology.

“Solar, fusion, nuclear, coal, etc., you have to have a plant somewhere and provide the infrastructure to support it,” said Paul Jaffe, a former electronics engineer at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. You have the potential to redirect power from satellites to anywhere on Earth.”

Technology is advancing

In a sign that technology is moving beyond the boundaries of science fiction, British startup Space Solar It recently penned a world-first partnership with an Icelandic energy company to supply solar power from space by 2030, imagining that satellites would be enough to power about 3,000 homes.

Space Solar also went one step further by being the first to demonstrate 360-degree beaming technology, which means the solar panels can send energy back to Earth. Regardless, they rotate to face the sun.

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