China has announced an ambitious plan to build a 1-kilometer-wide solar power station in space. This groundbreaking project aims to capture sunlight more efficiently than on Earth and beam continuous energy back to Earth via microwaves. According to lead scientist Long Lehao, the energy collected in one year would be equivalent to the total amount of oil that can be extracted from the Earth.
The project, dubbed “another Three Gorges Dam project above the Earth,” will see its components lofted to a geostationary orbit above Earth using super-heavy rockets. The Three Gorges Dam, located on the Yangtze River in central China, is the world’s largest hydropower project, generating 100 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity each year. Long Lehao, the chief designer of China’s Long March rockets, described the project as “as significant as moving the Three Gorges Dam to a geostationary orbit 36,000 kilometers above the Earth”.
The potential of this space-based solar power station is immense. In space, sunlight is ten times more intense than at Earth’s surface, and the energy collected would be continuous, avoiding issues like cloud cover and day-night cycles. This could revolutionize global energy supply, reducing dependence on fossil fuels and addressing climate change.
However, building such a colossal structure presents numerous technical challenges. Engineers will need to develop materials capable of withstanding the harsh conditions of space and robotics for assembly. China plans to utilize the reusable Long March-9 (CZ-9) rocket, which has a lifting capacity of at least 150 tons, to launch the components into orbit.
Other nations are also exploring space-based solar power technology. The European Space Agency, the U.S., and Japan’s JAXA space agency have been investigating similar concepts. Japan plans to launch a small, proof-of-concept satellite this year to assess the feasibility of this technology.
The success of China’s space solar project could redefine how the world approaches energy generation, positioning China as a pioneer in the next frontier of energy technology. The endeavor could address growing energy demands and offer a solution to global climate challenges.
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