The United States Air Force and Northrup Grumman are advancing research into space solar power.
The US Air Force is preparing an update to its space solar energy study. The UK’s science minister has voiced support for solar collection platforms circling the earth. The allure of continuous solar electricity is part of the allure. A component is avoiding land use disputes that would jeopardize nature protection and food security. Another example is powering neighborhoods without the need to construct additional transmission lines or energy storage equipment.
The US Air Force and Northrup Grumman are collaborating on a project named SSPIDR, an acronym for Space Solar Power Incremental Demonstrations and Research. The project was on pace to begin testing the solar power generators and radio frequency wireless power transmission on a 666-foot prototype. A critical component has passed its early testing and will be shown this month at the 37th Space Symposium in Colorado. The UK’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has published a paper arguing for investment in space solar energy. Global energy consumption is expected to more than treble over the next three decades.
The development of new sources of renewable energy that are sustainable, cheap, secure, and scalable is critical. Earlier this month, the UK science minister reaffirmed his government’s support for space solar R&D in widely publicized statements. The EU is relying heavily on liquefied natural gas for assistance, at least in the short future. Wind, solar, and green hydrogen players are already posing a threat soon. A competitive space solar energy business might someday assist in restraining the LNG genie. Source: https://cleantechnica.com/2022/03/28/spotlight-on-space-solar-power-as-eu-skitters-away-from-russian-gas/
