China wants to reach a whole new level of renewable energy production. Chinese scientists are planning to build the first ever space solar power plant in near-earth orbit. It is going to be placed at an altitude of 36,000 kilometers above the Earth, where, regardless of the time of day, meteorological conditions and atmospheric effects of the planet, it will be able to efficiently and most importantly constantly collect solar energy for its subsequent transfer to ground stations.
The electricity it generates will be converted into microwaves or a laser beam for transmission to special collectors located on Earth. The station project was proposed by Chinese engineers back in 2015. According to the Australian Sydney Morning Herald, with reference to the Chinese publication Science and Technology Daily, specialists from the Chinese Academy of Space Technology have begun developing an early experimental prototype of the facility.
According to Pan Zhihao of the National Academy of Space Technology, the space-based solar power plant could become "an inexhaustible source of clean energy for humanity." Electric cars can be charged anytime, anywhere. The station will be able to supply electricity almost continuously and 6 times more efficiently than any solar farm on Earth.
The project will be implemented in several stages. The high-performance solar power plant will not be launched immediately. During 2021-2025, several compact prototypes are planned to be launched into the stratosphere to collect solar energy and conduct tests for its transfer to a ground collector. By 2030, scientists want to launch a megawatt-class power plant into near-earth orbit, and a gigawatt-class power plant by 2050.
According to the vice president of the China Academy of Space Technology, China could become the first country in the world to create a space solar power plant with real practical value.
It is noted that the main technical difficulty in deploying such a station in orbit is not solar energy collection technologies - the necessary developments are already in place. The main problem is the weight of the station, which, according to current estimates, will be around 1000 tons. The weight of the same International Space Station is more than half that and is about 400 tons, says Pan Zhihao.
At the moment, Chinese experts are studying the use of robots and 3D printing technology for the direct construction of a power plant directly in space as one of the potential ways to solve this problem. In addition, since the energy collected by the space power plant is planned to be converted into microwaves for transmission to ground collectors, scientists also want to study the question of the potential impact of the station's microwave radiation on the atmosphere and ecology of the planet.
The orbiting space power plant is expected to help reduce air pollution from emissions from numerous fossil-fueled ground stations. In addition, one of the possible prospects is the use of the station as a source of energy for the needs of the developing program of deep space exploration.
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The news source adds that Japan, India, as well as some European countries are also discussing the idea of using solar energy in space.
Nikolay Khizhnyak