Satellites could be operational by 2040, with the technology already being tested on a small scale.
Satellites in Earth's orbit would capture sunlight and convert it to microwaves. Pic: ESA
Dr Mamatha Maheshwarappa, payload systems lead at the UK Space Agency, told Sky News:"This must be a joint venture. Government can fund some of the initial de-risking activities but it would later need to be supported by private investments."The principle of SBSP has already been demonstrated on a small scale.
In September, Airbus beamed microwaves between two points over a distance of 36 metres, producing green hydrogen and bringing a model city to life.Jean-Dominique Coste from the team at Airbus said:"If satellites were to collect the sunlight, they would need to measure about 2 kilometres across to achieve the same power level as a nuclear power plant."Airbus has demonstrated microwave beaming on a small scale.
And the ESA admits large amounts of energy could be lost during the conversion and"beaming" process, although scientists still think it would be economically viable even if only 10% reached Earth.
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