Space solar energy, the new desire of the forces. Let’s translate this to solar power plants in space, with photovoltaic panels. China, the United States and the United Kingdom have included it in their plans.
Taking energy from the sun thousands of kilometers from our planet and sending it to Earth seems like a science fiction idea, but large nations are already thinking about it over the next decade.
In fact, according to a report diary newsAnd the China has announced that it will have the first solar power plant outside our world in 2028Which means one of the most advanced projects in the field of solar energy.
The UK, for its part, asserts that it will do the same in 2035While The United States, with more reservations about it, also has collecting solar energy from space on its list of things to do.. At the Pentagon they are already working on this plan.
Advantages of a solar power plant in space
Today, solar energy is already used to power satellites, the International Space Station (ISS), among others. But if solar stations are installed in orbit, they will have a significant advantage over ground stations: It would constantly generate energy.
Solar power station in space It can breed 24 hours a day, seven days a weekwithout depending on whether it is day or night, and whether there are more or less clouds, as it happens with plants on Earth.
In the case of China, its plans are more than ambitious. They have been working on this idea for 10 years and their goal is that in 2028 they can recover megawatts and in 2050 they will reach gigawatts.
Chinese plan Using photovoltaic panels to continuously capture solar energy and fire lasers at a station on the ground. These rays are then converted into electricity that is distributed to the network.
US and UK plans
For its part, the United States had already seen how NASA developed plans similar to those of China 20 years ago, but rejected them due to their complexity. At that time the Pentagon reinstated those plans and announced it in 2021 It has successfully tested a solar panel capable of sending energy from space to any point on our planet, using microwave technology.
The US military has received $178 million to explore solar energy in space, according to the report.
finally, The UK also wants to generate solar energy in space and ensures it can do so by 2035. Behind his project are about 50 British technical institutions, including companies such as Airbus, the University of Cambridge and satellite maker SSTL.
If all of these projects go ahead, the powers that be can remove carbon from the planet, which is beneficial not only to China, the United States or the United Kingdom, but to the entire world.
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