China is planning to build a space based solar power station to beam energy back to Earth. According to the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) it could all take place as soon as 2035.
The ambitious endeavor aims to massively cut down on current fossil fuel consumption by building a 200-tonne megawatt-level solar station. The station would capture the energy from the Sun that never makes it to our Earth.
The China Academy of Space Technology researcher Wang Li explained that the energy would be converted to microwaves or lasers and then beamed wirelessly back to the Earth’s surface for human consumption.
“We hope to strengthen international cooperation and make scientific and technological breakthroughs so that humankind can achieve the dream of limitless clean energy at an early date,” Wang said.
The base will research best ways for transmitting high-power wireless energy and ecological effects this may incur.
Researches in this field will elevate the country’s space science and innovation in emerging industries like commercial space transportations, Wang said.
