On May 28, 2024, I was pleased at the invitation from EPFL to speak about my background, Space-Based Solar Power (SBSP), our ESA funded study ‘Greater Earth Lunar Power Station’ and a SBSP Case Study for Switzerland.
To address the energy and climate crises, renewed interest in Space-Based Solar Power (SBSP) is being actively pursued in Europe, USA, Japan, South Korea, and China. The European Space Agency launched its SOLARIS programme in November 2022 to further investigate and mature the feasibility of SBSP through a technology R&D programme.
SBSP can deliver clean and sustainable baseload and dispatchable electrical power 24/7, 365 days a year at an availability of approximately 99.5% and is not influenced by the weather nor by the day-night cycle. Over the coming decades, Switzerland needs to invest in its energy transition from fossil fuels to more sustainable energy supplies, but it remains unclear which terrestrial energy systems could best guarantee Switzerland’s energy security. Switzerland has the need, the technical means, and the financial resources to be an early user and enabler of SBSP and perhaps lead an international collaborative effort to supply Switzerland and the world with inexhaustible clean energy.
The Swiss company Astrostrom is researching a unique approach to SBSP via manufacturing Solar Power Satellite (SPS) components on the Moon from lunar materials. This approach could reduce the amount of mass for a SPS launched from Earth by 80% or more as well as reducing costs and the related CO2 emissions.
Arthur Woods, founder and CEO of Astrostrom GmbH, is an astronautical artist and independent researcher with two art projects successfully flown on the Russian Mir space station. He had the fortunate experience to personally witness the beginnings of the U.S. space program while living in the immediate vicinity of Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center (1959 -1970), where he held summer jobs in 1967 & 1968 during the Apollo program. He is a member of the International Academy of Astronautics.
The École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) is a public research university located in Lausanne, Switzerland that was founded in 1969.
