Japanese scientists have discovered a new method to generate solar power in space which can be used in Earth.
Recently, they have achieved new success in wireless technology by transmitting energy through space.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) reports that scientists have succeeded in transmitting energy by using microwaves to deliver 1.8 KW of power with great accuracy to a target 170 feet away.
This is for the first time such a high output of power has been transferred via microwaves to such a small target.
For the first time, a high output of nearly two KW of microwaves has been send to a small target, using a delicate directivity control device.
For years, Japan’s space agency has been working on devising Space Solar Power Systems (SSPS), under which microwave-transmitting solar satellites would be set up about 36,000 kilometers from Earth.
Satellites such as the ISS routinely collect solar power for their own functions, but sending solar-generated power down to Earth for uses on the surface has not seemed feasible until JAXA’s revelation.
The Japanese research offers the possibility that humans will one day be able to farm an inexhaustible source of energy in space.
However, practical application of the technology will take a long time, overcoming all challenges to overcome.
JAXA researchers envision a future in which satellites carrying solar panels and antennae will send solar power down to receivers on Earth from about 22,300 miles up.
Solar power is easier to collect in space than on Earth due to the lack of interference from clouds and the ability of a satellite to spend more time in sunlight.
The SSPS concept emerged in the U.S. in the 1960 and Japan’s version started in 2009.
In a separate project, a Japanese firm last year revealed plans to cover the moon in a huge swathe of solar panels and use them to power homes here on Earth.
In another development, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has succeeded in transmitting 10 KW wirelessly to a receiver 500 meters away during a test.
The company hopes to find practical applications for the technology in five years, such as for charging electric vehicles or powering warning lights on power transmission towers.
Sabeena Wahid
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