Scientists from the California Institute of Technology have achieved impressive results within…Space solar energy pilot project“which continued for a year to test the feasibility of sending solar energy from space to Earth via a satellite on a commercial scale.
The project achieved success in all three initial experiments, which included testing a new origami-inspired solar panel structure, different cell designs, and a microwave transmitter.
The idea of sending space solar arrays that transmit clean, renewable energy to Earth via microwave waves has been present for more than 50 years, and the Japanese space agency “JAXA” previously announced plans to establish a solar farm on a commercial scale in space by 2025, and is also seeking The European Space Agency has launched a similar development project through the Solaris programme.
The recent success of the Space Solar Energy Demonstration Project represents the first ever successful model of collecting solar energy from a photovoltaic cell in space and sending it back to Earth.
Despite this success, there are many challenges that must be overcome before space solar energy becomes commercially viable, and these challenges include reducing material costs, ensuring that panels resist deadly space rays, and further improving efficiency.
Researchers around the world are working on innovations to overcome these obstacles, such as the University of Pennsylvania’s discovery of a way to double the efficiency of a lightweight solar cell, as well as the University of Sydney’s invention of a self-healing solar panel capable of fully recovering from damage caused by exposure to space radiation. .
Scientists believe that importing solar energy from space on a regular basis has become achievable, and with more continuous research and technological progress, it will become one of the important solutions for sustainable energy.