Recently, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket delivered into orbit a 50-kilogram Space Solar Power Demonstrator (SSPD) developed by scientists at Caltech, along with 116 satellites.
Researchers from this institute are not the first to consider harvesting solar energy in space. But they have recently paved the way for real experiments in Earth’s orbit. The idea of harvesting renewable energy in space is finally starting to take shape.
These innovations matter because space has none of the natural obstacles to collecting solar energy that Earth does. On our planet, the main drawback of solar energy extraction is the dependence on daylight, the seasons, and cloud cover.
These space technologies could be especially valuable in parts of the world with severe electricity shortages.
What is SSPD?
The SSPD aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of collecting solar energy in space and subsequently transmitting it to Earth using wireless microwave transmission.
The SSPD prototype consists of three sections, each of which will conduct a separate series of experiments, Newsweek reported.
The first section, covering an area of about four square meters, is DOLCE (Deployable on-Orbit ultraLight Composite Experiment) — it will test the deployment mechanisms of modular spacecraft. Caltech described it as a solar power station in the form of a “constellation of spacecraft on a kilometer scale.”
The second section — ALBA — combines 32 types of photovoltaic cells. Researchers now have the opportunity to determine which of them are the most effective in the harsh conditions of space.
And finally, the third section — MAPLE (Microwave Arrays for Low-Orbit Energy Transfer Experiment) — will use a collection of flexible microwave transmitters to test wireless energy transfer.
Testing the orbital solar power station will take quite a bit of time. However, the team hopes to obtain a full assessment of its performance within a few months.
“No matter what happens, this prototype is a significant step forward,” said Ali Hajimiri, a Caltech professor of electrical and medical engineering and one of the project leaders.
