How is the solar cell agency project

How does solar power work?

The so-called reference design transforms solar power into electricity via photovoltaic cells in geostationary orbit around Earth. The power is then transmitted wirelessly in the form of microwaves at 2.45 GHz to dedicated receiver stations on Earth, called ‘rectennas’, which convert the energy back into electricity and feed it into the local grid.

How will ESA prepare Europe for space-based solar power decision-making?

To prepare Europe for future decision making on Space-Based Solar Power, ESA has kicked-off a preparatory initiative, called SOLARIS, for which funding was approved at the ESA Council at Ministerial Level in November 2022.

Which countries are developing space-based solar power?

The US, China and Japan are also advanced in the race to develop space-based solar power and are expected to announce their own plans shortly. Separately from the ESA proposal, in the UK, a company, Space Solar, has been formed. It aims to demonstrate beaming power from space within six years, and doing so commercially within nine years.

Could solar power 'enormous' help address future energy shortages?

Josef Aschbacher, who is Esa's director general, told BBC News that he believed that solar power from space could be of ''enormous'' help to address future energy shortages.

Will JAXA start a solar farm in 2025?

Last year, Japanese space agency JAXA announced that it planned to set up a commercial-scale solar farm in space by 2025, while the European Space Agency (ESA) is also aiming to set up a development project through its Solaris programme.

Could solar power be Amed wirelessly into millions of homes?

Space chiefs are to investigate whether electricity could be beamed wirelessly from orbit into millions of homes. The European Space Agency will this week likely approve a three-year study to see if having huge solar farms in space could work and be cost effective.