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Jun 13, 2023

First ever beaming of orbital solar power

Posted by in categories: business, satellites, solar power, sustainability

The transition to renewable energy, critical for the world’s future, is limited today by energy storage and transmission challenges. Beaming solar power from space is an elegant solution that […] promises a remarkable payoff for humanity: a world powered by uninterruptible renewable energy.


The California Institute of Technology reports the first successful beaming of solar energy from space down to a receiver on the ground, via the MAPLE instrument on its SSPD-1 spacecraft.

Space-based solar power. Credit: Caltech.

In recent years, space-based solar power has attracted growing interest from both governments and businesses. Driven by advances in satellite technology, materials science, and energy transmission methods, experts increasingly view it as a feasible option for clean energy that is likely to be a commercial reality within the next two decades.

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