The idea of transmitting solar energy from space is not new. In 1968, a NASA engineer named Peter Glaser produced the first concept design for a solar-powered satellite. However, it appears that scientists have now carried out a successful experiment 55 years later. A team of researchers from Caltech announced on Thursday that their space-borne prototype, called the Space Solar Power Demonstrator (SSPD-1), had collected sunlight, converted it into electricity, and beamed it to microwave receivers installed on a rooftop on Caltech’s Pasadena campus. The experiment also proves that the setup, which launched on January 3, is capable of surviving the trip to space, along with the harsh environment of space itself.
“To the best of our knowledge, no one has ever demonstrated wireless energy transfer in space even with expensive rigid structures. We are doing it with flexible lightweight structures and with our own integrated circuits. This is a first,” said Ali…
2023-06-03 19:00:46
Source from www.engadget.com