This special issue is dedicated to the field of Space Solar Power Station (SSPS). Proposed by the American scientist Peter Glaser, SSPS is a grand idea to build an extra-large solar power station on the Earth orbit and to transmit electricity to the surface ground wirelessly, such as through microwaves.
A step by step diagram on space based solar power. Space-based solar power (SBSP or SSP) is the concept of collecting solar power in outer space with solar power satellites (SPS) and distributing it to Earth.
A solar power station in space? Here’s how it would work – and the benefits it could bring Solar power systems on Earth can only produce energy during the daytime. Diyana Dimitrova/Shutterstock The UK government is reportedly considering a costly proposal to build a solar farm in space.
A collection of LEO (low Earth orbit) space power stations has been proposed as a precursor to GEO (geostationary orbit) space-based solar power. The Earth-based rectenna would likely consist of many short dipole antennas connected via diodes.
Shown is the assembly of a microwave transmission antenna. The solar power satellite was to be located in a geosynchronous orbit, 35,786 kilometres (22,236 mi) above the Earth's surface. NASA 1976 Between 1978 and 1986, the Congress authorized the Department of Energy (DoE) and NASA to jointly investigate the concept.
This is, however, far from the state of the art for flown spacecraft, which as of 2015 was 150 W/kg (6.7 kg/kW), and improving rapidly. Very lightweight designs could likely achieve 1 kg/kW, meaning 4,000 metric tons for the solar panels for the same 4 GW capacity station.