Latest news with #SpaceSolar
Sustainability Times
6 days ago
- Business
- Sustainability Times
'13 Times More Power From Space': UK Company Achieves Historic Solar Breakthrough Beaming Massive Energy Back to Earth
IN A NUTSHELL 🌌 Space Solar has developed a groundbreaking power-beaming technology to deliver wireless solar energy from space. has developed a groundbreaking power-beaming technology to deliver wireless solar energy from space. 🛰️ The Cassidi project confirmed the technical and economic viability of using pre-fabricated solar reflectors to capture and beam solar energy. confirmed the technical and economic viability of using pre-fabricated solar reflectors to capture and beam solar energy. 🔋 The system can electronically steer the energy beam 360 degrees, enhancing cost-effectiveness and efficiency without the need for moving parts. 🌍 Space Solar aims to deploy a megawatt-scale commercial system within five years, revolutionizing the global transition to renewable energy. In the fast-evolving world of renewable energy, UK-based startup Space Solar is making waves with its innovative approach to harnessing solar power from space. The company's groundbreaking power-beaming technology promises to revolutionize how we think about energy generation, offering a reliable and uninterrupted source of clean power. By beaming solar energy wirelessly from space, Space Solar aims to overcome the challenges faced by traditional renewable sources, such as weather dependency and the day-night cycle. This ambitious venture has the potential to transform the global energy landscape, providing a sustainable and efficient alternative to conventional energy sources. Comprehensive Assessment of Key Technologies The 'Cassidi' project, a significant milestone for Space Solar, involved a thorough evaluation of the company's core technologies. This $2.26-million project was funded by the UK Space Agency and the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). Over an 18-month period, Space Solar conducted a comprehensive assessment of its wireless power beaming, in-space assembly process, and ground receiver technologies. The result is a detailed 1,700-page sub-system design document that outlines the blueprint for their modular solar power satellite, Cassiopeia. This satellite, also known as the Constant Aperture Solid State Integrated Orbital Phased Array, represents a significant step forward in the development of space-based solar power. This Nordic Power Move Changes Everything: Sweden's 740 MW Electrolyzers Set to Transform Global Steel Into a Zero-Carbon Industry The success of the 'Harrier' demonstrator, which enabled the development and testing of power-beaming technology, was a key achievement of the project. This demonstrator has paved the way for further advancements in the field, showcasing the potential of space-based solar power to deliver clean energy around the clock. Fusion Power Just Got Real: New Method to Remove Heat From Tokamak Plasma Solves One of Nuclear Energy's Biggest Obstacles Using Pre-fabricated Solar Reflectors One of the most exciting aspects of Space Solar's approach is the use of pre-fabricated solar reflectors. These reflectors are part of a system that can electronically steer the energy beam through a full 360 degrees, eliminating the need for moving parts. This solid-state approach is central to the projected cost-effectiveness of the Cassiopeia satellite. The power beam itself is designed to be low intensity and safe, transmitting through the atmosphere and weather with minimal loss in efficiency. This makes it a highly attractive option for integrating with other renewable energy sources, enhancing grid resilience and delivering power where it's needed most. AI-Powered Driving Arrives: Chinese Firm Unleashes Hybrid EV With Nvidia Chip to Ignite the Smart Vehicle Race The Cassiopeia satellite, equipped with thousands of lightweight photovoltaic modules, will capture solar energy in orbit and beam it down to ground-based receivers using high-frequency radio waves. This method promises to provide a consistent and reliable energy source, unaffected by weather conditions or the day-night cycle. By overcoming these limitations, Space Solar's technology could play a crucial role in the global transition to renewable energy. Viability Confirmation for Clean Energy The collaborative nature of the 'Cassidi' project, which involved 22 partner organizations, has confirmed both the technical and economic viability of Space Solar's system. The success of this demonstration not only strengthens the company's position but also sets the stage for an ambitious timeline. Space Solar plans to deploy a megawatt-scale commercial system within five years, with aspirations to expand to a full product range from 30 MW to GigaWatt-scale within twelve years. This breakthrough could herald a new era in clean energy generation, offering a viable pathway toward a future with continuous and globally accessible energy. The successful completion of the 'Cassidi' project brings us one step closer to realizing the dream of harnessing the sun's power directly from space, potentially transforming how we meet our energy needs. As Space Solar continues to innovate and push the boundaries of what's possible, the potential impact on the global energy landscape is profound. With the promise of reliable, clean, and uninterrupted energy, the question remains: how will this revolutionary technology reshape our approach to sustainable energy in the coming decades? Our author used artificial intelligence to enhance this article. Did you like it? 4.6/5 (20)
Times
19-05-2025
- Science
- Times
British invention moves solar power station in space a step closer
For more than eight decades, the idea of beaming an around-the-clock supply of solar power from space has fascinated people including Isaac Asimov, the science-fiction writer, and forward-thinking politicians. However, while the price of solar panels has dropped drastically and the technology to wirelessly transmit power has improved, a crucial question has still to be answered: how do you build a large solar plant in the Earth's orbit? Space Solar, a British company, may have the answer. It hopes to assemble a power station in space using autonomous robots. To show that the idea is more than wishful thinking, it has tested the technology at a facility near Oxford. The business, based in Didcot and backed by more than £10 million of government grants, aims
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
UK firm beams solar breakthrough: 13x more power sent from space down to Earth
UK-based startup Space Solar has successfully completed crucial tests of its power-beaming technology, with an aim to deliver wireless power from space. The company said that space-based solar power could provide reliable, uninterrupted clean energy around the clock and in any weather, addressing the intermittency issues faced by traditional wind and solar sources. 'A solar panel in space delivers 13x the amount of energy that the same panel on Earth generates, because there is no night, no weather and no atmosphere in space.' The company has recently concluded its 18-month, $2.26-million "Cassidi" project, which was funded by the UK Space Agency and the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). The Cassidi project involved a comprehensive assessment of Space Solar's key technologies. 'In a remarkably short timeframe, the project has advanced key aspects of the design, including the wireless power beaming, in-space assembly process and the ground receiver,' added the press release. The project has resulted in a comprehensive 1,700-page sub-system design document outlining the blueprint for its modular solar power satellite, named Cassiopeia (Constant Aperture Solid State Integrated Orbital Phased Array). Space Solar's "Harrier" demonstrator successfully developed and tested their power beaming technology, which was a key achievement of the project. This system has the ability to steer the energy beam through a full 360 degrees electronically, eliminating the need for moving parts. This solid-state approach is central to the projected cost-effectiveness of the Cassiopeia satellite. 'The power beam is low intensity and safe, and transmits through the atmosphere and weather with almost zero loss in efficiency,' highlighted the press release. 'It works exceptionally well in combination with other renewables, with the potential to contribute to grid resilience by delivering power where it's needed most, cost competitive with terrestrial renewables.' Space Solar's ambitious concept involves launching the Cassiopeia satellite, equipped with pre-fabricated solar reflectors and thousands of lightweight photovoltaic modules, into orbit. This orbiting power plant will then capture solar energy and wirelessly beam it down to ground-based receivers using high-frequency radio waves. The company claims this method will provide a consistent and reliable energy source, unaffected by weather conditions or the day-night cycle. The Cassidi project was a collaborative effort, involving 22 partner organizations, and has reportedly confirmed both the technical and economic viability of Space Solar's system. This successful demonstration paves the way for the company's ambitious timeline. 'Space Solar is now accelerating towards deployment, with plans to deliver a megawatt-scale commercial system within five years and expand to a full product range from 30 MW to GigaWatt-scale within twelve years,' remarked the company. This breakthrough could offer a promising pathway towards a future with clean, continuous, and globally accessible energy. The successful completion of the Cassidi project signifies a tangible step closer to making wireless power from space a reality. 'The breakthrough project heralds a paradigm shift in clean energy generation, and gives further confidence that space-based solar power (SBSP) can be deployed on a commercial scale from 2030,' concluded Space Solar.
