Will China build a space-based solar power station?

China is eyeing completing a gigawatt-level space-based power station, the Global Times learned from the Chinese Society of Astronautics space solar power commission on Sunday.

Does China have a space solar power initiative?

In 2015, Northrop Grumman Corporation in the U.S. sponsored a $17.5 million research over three years for the development of the Space Solar Power Initiative (SSPI). Duan proposed in late 2013 to kick off China's own initiative and then his team put forward China's tech approach of SSPS called OMEGA.

Can space-based solar power be generated?

"As a key step to verifying the feasibility of space-based solar power generation, we want to make and place into orbit a pair of satellites — a large one that will collect solar power and convert it to microwaves and laser beams, and a smaller one responsible for receiving laser beams.

What is a space solar power station?

A space solar power station, though seemingly belonging in the realm of science fiction, refers to the technology to generate electricity from solar energy and then transmit it wirelessly to another target in space or users on the Earth's surface.

How big will China's future space power station be?

According to Li, the future space power station will likely have a scale of more than 10,000 tons, and to reach that goal, China needs to grasp the capability of wireless power transmission technology, which is a must and the greatest challenge in the process.

When will solar power stations become a major focus for World Space?

Wang predicted that in-orbit experiment and key technology verification of space-based solar power station power-beaming will be become an emphasis for world space in the next 5-10 years. By 2040, the world could see the first gigawatt-level space solar power station system.