China plans to accomplish a 200-tonne megawatt-level space-based solar power station by 2035, according to the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST).

The space-based solar power station would capture the sun's energy that never makes it to the planet, said Wang Li, a CAST research fellow with the program, when attending the sixth China-Russia Engineering Forum held last week in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province.

The energy is converted to microwaves or lasers and then beamed wirelessly back to the Earth's surface for human consumption, Wang said.

"We hope to strengthen international cooperation and make scientific and technological breakthroughs so that humankind can achieve the dream of limitless clean energy at an early date," Wang said.

Compared with traditional fossil energy, which has been increasingly exhausted and is responsible for severe environmental issues, space-based solar power is more efficient and sustainable, providing a reliable power supply solution for satellites and disaster-hit areas or isolated areas on the Earth, Wang said.

The concept of collecting solar power in space was popularized by science fiction author Isaac Asimov in 1941. In 1968, Peter Glaser, an American aerospace engineer, wrote a formal proposal for a solar-based system in space.

China has proposed various sunlight collecting solutions and made a number of major breakthroughs in wireless energy transmission since the country listed space-based solar power as a key research program in 2008.

However, ambition has long been a challenge for current technology because it involves the launch and installation of numerous solar panel modules and the efficient wireless transmission of mega energy.

With an investment of 200 million yuan (28.4 million U.S. dollars), China is building a testing base in Bishan, southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, for the research of high-power wireless energy transmission and its impact on the environment.

Researches in this field will spur the country's space science and innovation in emerging industries like commercial space transportations, Wang said.

Source: Xinhua News Agency

Related Links
China Academy of Space Technology (CAST)
All About Solar Energy at SolarDaily.com

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

JinkoSolar Supplies 300MW of High-Efficiency Tiger Modules for China Ultra-High Voltage Demonstration Plant
Shanghai, China (SPX) Nov 30, 2019
JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. has supplied 300MW of its high energy density Tiger panels for an ultra-high voltage demonstration plant in Qinghai Province, China. The Qinghai Ultra High Voltage Demonstration Plant is the first ground mounted utility project in the world to install JinkoSolar's Tiger panels which have 20.4% module efficiency. JinkoSolar's efficient Tiger series deliver value as a result of a unique tiling ribbon that improves reliability and efficiency, and outperforms conventional ... read more