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.

What is China's space solar power plant plan?

China’s space solar power plant plan. Source: Dong Shiwei, National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Space Microwave, China Academy of Space Technology in Xian China wants to construct the massive orbiting solar-power space station in four stages.

Why did China stop building a space solar power plant?

After breaking ground in Heping village, Bishan district, three years ago, construction of the 100-million-yuan (US$15.4 million) ground testing facility for the national space solar-power programme stopped, in part because of debates about cost, feasibility and safety of the technology.

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.

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.

Will China use Tiangong space station to test polar power?

A pair of Shenzhou 14 astronauts outside Tiangong during the mission's third EVA on Nov. 16, 2022. Credit: CMSA HELSINKI — China intends to use its newly-completed Tiangong space station to test key technologies required for space-based polar power, according to a senior space official.