Various Space-Based Solar Power (SBSP) proposals have been researched since the early 1970s and currently, SBSP is being researched and developed in Europe, United States, China, Australia, Japan, India, Russia, South Korea and Japan.
It is widely expected that the first Solar Power Satellite (SPS) system will be built on Earth and launched into orbit from Earth’s surface. This will be necessary as a proof-of-concept of the underlying technologies and as early-stage demonstrations. Without space-to-Earth demonstrations of power beaming at a significant scale, securing necessary investments from outside the space sector in maturing the technology will be difficult. Therefore, all current approaches to SBSP should not be viewed as competition to the Astrostrom/GEEO lunar approach to SBSP, but as complimentary approaches with potential for collaboration, cooperation and furthering the fundamental technologies.
If any of the SPS systems currently under development can mitigate the launch bottleneck and environmental challenges associated with launching 100’s and eventually 100’s of SPSs to significantly contribute to humanity’s future energy mix, then these should, and will be supported. Reusable, low-cost heavy lift launcher capacity is also a priority that has to be simultaneously developed in addition to the current launcher programmes in the U.S. and China.
The GEEO and Astrostrom will support these developments as much as possible, especially if the technological approaches are shown to reduce the costs of SBSP development to the extent that these projects lead to the production of commercial products that are compatible with the design requirements of eventual lunar produced SPS components. These may include SPS designs, wireless power transmission, reusable launch vehicles, orbital transfer vehicles, and a range of specialised equipment such as large-scale ion engines and others.
SBSP Headlines in the News
https://astrostrom.ch/sbsp-news-headlines/
SBSP Proposals Currently Under Development
The European Space Agency
ESA initiated the SOLARIS programme to further investigate and mature the feasibility of Space-Based Solar Power through a technology R&D programme. Funding was approved by the ESA Council at the Ministerial Level in November 2022. The goal of SOLARIS is to prepare the ground for a possible decision in 2025 on a full SBSP development programme by establishing the technical, political and programmatic viability of providing sustainable energy from space for addressing terrestrial needs. In 2023 ESA’s Solaris programme commissioned Arthur D. Little and Thales Alenia Space-Italy to conduct two Pre-Phase A SBSP feasibility studies. ESA is a public agency dedicated to research and development, but it does not have the mandate to implement commercial projects. Research and development undertaken during the SOLARIS programme will be valuable for Astrostrom and GEEO in adding to knowledge about many aspects of SPS feasibility, systems design and environmental impact.
ESA: Solaris (Video by Astrostrom)
ESA Solaris Website: https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Engineering_Technology/SOLARIS
ESA Solaris in the News: https://astrostrom.ch/solaris-sbsp-headlines/
Thales Alenia Space-Italy
The study proposed a Solar Power Satellite with a mass of 6,640 metric tonnes that would be robotically assembled in Low Earth Orbit and boosted to GEO with space tugs. The system would deliver 1-GW of power to a ground receiving station located in Spain. Total mission cost was projected to $ 11.4 billion with an estimated LCoE between 158 $/MWh for the first SPS and 143 $/MWh for the 10th SPS system.
More info: https://nebula.esa.int/sites/default/files/neb_study/3136/SBSP_SIW_presentation_final_13Dec2023.pdf
Arthur D. Little: Direct Sun Reflecting
The Direct Sun Reflecting (DSR) concept is a system of orbital mirrors to direct sunlight to existing ground solar power plants to increase their output. Approximately 4,000 large mirrors of 1 km diameter would be placed in an 890 km Sun Synchronous Orbit. DSR is a way of producing clean energy from space via a constellation of orbiting mirrors that can accurately reflect sunlight back to earth. By focusing this sunlight on pre-existing solar farms, DSR can effectively add an additional two hours of bright sunshine a day. This means that solar farms could receive up to 60% more energy a year without any additional infrastructure cost.
Solspace
This is a concept similar to the Arthur D. Little study, in which a team of engineers from the University of Glasgow led by Professor Colin McInnes has been working on a project to use reflectors in space that could redirect sunlight to parts of the Earth in the dark – and this way, potentially keep solar power plants running around the clock. The project has received a CHF 2.5 million ($2.75 million) grant from the European Research Council (ERC) to support five years of research.
More info: https://www.gla.ac.uk/explore/sustainability/research/solspace/
Space Solar
Of the current SBSP projects commercially under development, Space Solar in the UK (Space Solar Group Holdings Ltd.) has received approximately CHF 4-5 million from the UK government and Saudi Arabia has signalled their interest. Space Solar plans to request £800 million from the U.K. government. Space Solar was founded by the team who established the Space Energy Initiative in the UK. One of the founders and Chief Architect is Ian Cash, who designed the CASSIOPeiA concept for a novel space-based solar power satellite. This model was used by Frazer-Nash in the UK’s and ESA’s feasibility studies and has proven competitive. Due to this, they state that they will be able to deliver Gigawatt-scale power within twelve years, and first commercial power within 9 years. The team consisting of Co-CEOs Martin Solltau, Sam Adlen, and CTO David Homfray has extensive experience in managing three-digit multi-million-dollar projects, including Mars missions and work at the nuclear fusion reactor JET.
More info: https://www.spacesolar.co.uk/
IECL
IECL or International Electric Company Limited is the company of Ian Cash which developed the CASSIOPeiA concept. Its focus is on designing and manufacturing innovative solutions in the area of wireless power transfer and renewable energy. Their phased-array technology aims at enabling new applications in many sectors utilising wireless power transfer.
More info: https://www.internationalelectric.com/space-solar
Sirin Orbital Systems AG
ESA is helping to fund a 16U4SBSP mission concept study for this idea, proposed by the Swiss company Sirin Orbital Systems, in collaboration with Delft University of Technology and the University of Strathclyde, and with technical support from the University of Zürich. 16U CubeSats fly together in swarms to collect kilowatts of solar energy in space, which they then wirelessly transfer to clients on Earth or to other satellites in space. 16U4SBSP is one of the seven selected ideas of ESA Preparation’s open call for innovative new mission concepts enabled by CubeSat swarms.
More info: https://sirin-os.com/news/
USA
NASA
In 2024 NASA OTPS released a long-awaited study report on SBSP. The purpose of the study was to “evaluate the potential benefits, challenges, and options for NASA to engage with growing global interest in space-based solar power (SBSP). The study addressed the following questions:
- Under what conditions would SBSP be a competitive option to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions compared to alternatives.
- If SBSP can be competitive, what role, if any, could NASA have in its development.
Critics of the report said that NASA relied on out-of-date information and ignored recent developments in related technological fields in producing their main cost estimates. Consequently, the report was not positive about the future prospects of SBSP for the USA.
More info: https://www.nasa.gov/organizations/otps/space-based-solar-power-report/
United States Government
In addition, to NASA’s efforts, various US defense organizations are known to have interest, and are currently working to advance SBSP technology for a wide range of potential military and defense applications. These include:
- US Department of Defense (DOD)
- Strategic Studies Institute
- US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)
- US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)
- DOD and SpaceX
Artemis Innovation Management Solutions
John Mankins’ SPS-ALPHA is a novel approach to space solar power. It aims to construct large platforms from many small elements to deliver solar power to Earth and space missions via wireless transmission. mission. The project was part of NASA’s NIAC 2011 Phase I and has moved through various phases to prove its conceptual feasibility. Recently, SPS-ALPHA was used as a reference for the Roland Berger, OHB Cost Benefit analysis conducted for the European Space Agency.
ESA: Roland Berger Executive summary on SPS-ALPHA:
https://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/technology/RB-executive-summary-brochures.zip
Virtus Solis
Virtus Solis is a US-based company, founded in 2018, which develops SBSP aiming to provide complete systems. Instead of placing their SPS in geostationary orbit (GEO) as do most other SBSP concepts, they plan to use the highly elliptical Molniya orbit. This orbit is used to provide communication and remote sensing services to high latitude areas in the northern hemisphere. Their sole mission is “To provide clean, low-cost renewable energy that directly supplants primary energy production for all terrestrial uses and eventually even extra-terrestrial”. Virtus Solis was awarded $200,000 for the NASA Centennial Challenge: Watts on the Moon Phase 2, in which they they delivered power from a variable source across 3km to an electrical load. CEO John Bucknell and CTO Dr. Edward Tate aim to use a hyper-modular design for SBSP-satellites to optimise manufacturing and construction while driving down costs.
More info: https://virtussolis.space/
Solestial
Solestial is a US-based company that develops and produces ultra-thin and lightweight solar cells for space. According to Solestial, due to their reduced mass, high efficiency, and a fully automated production process, they are enabling 90% lower costs of power for satellites in space than current systems. In October, 2022 they closed their oversubscribed seed funding at $10 million, led by Airbus Ventures. But they are not limiting themselves to satellites, according to CEO Stan Herasimenka: “Looking ahead, Solestial is uniquely positioned to enable long-lasting, highly efficient infrastructure for Earth orbit, cislunar space, and operations on the Moon itself, helping unlock the energy and resources of our whole planetary system for the benefit of life on Earth.”
More info: https://www.solestial.com/
The California Institute of Technology
Over the past decade, the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) received more than $100 million in donations from Donald and Brigitte Bren to fund the Space-based Solar Power Projects (SSPP). This has allowed Caltech to employ the team working on SBSP continuously and without losing focus, e.g., due to grant writing and short-term contracts. Since 2016, they have published 89 papers (as of 04.03.2023) on space-based solar power, and advanced a series of enabling technologies, including lightweight solar panels, flexible space structures and wireless power transfer. In early 2023, Caltech launched a first set of technology demonstrators which tested their solar collector designs as well as wireless power transfer using microwaves.
More info: https://www.spacesolar.caltech.edu/
Reflect Orbital
Reflect Orbital envisions a constellation of 57 small satellites orbiting Earth in a formation in sun-synchronous polar orbit, at an altitude of 370 miles (600 kilometers). In that orbit, the satellites would circle the planet from pole to pole while the planet rotates underneath them. The satellites would fly over each spot on Earth at the same time of the day, making two passes per 24 hours. Combined, the 57 satellites would provide an additional 30 minutes of sunshine to terrestrial solar power plants, at the time when energy is most needed.
More info: https://www.reflectorbital.com/
mPower
mPower is in the business of manufacturing high-efficiency, state-of-the-art silicon cells for space applications. Their “DragonSCALES” system is based on a standardised approach which builds on the massive scale of Earth’s silicon PV market to minimise costs. Last year, NASA selected mPower and its partner Honeybee Robotics for the provision of solar power systems (on the ground) for NASA’s new Moon missions within the Artemis program.
More info: https://mpowertech.com/
Aetherflux
Aetherflux plans to develop and ultimately deploy a constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit that will collect solar power and beam it to Earth using infrared lasers. The company is planning to demonstrate this technology with a small satellite launching by early 2026. That first mission, using a spacecraft bus provided by Apex, will be a “kilowatt-class” spacecraft that will transmit power using an infrared laser to the ground with a spot size of 10 meters.
More info: https://www.aetherflux.com/
Australia
EMROD
EMROD is an American company that is 100 % focused on wireless power transmission. They have subsidiaries in Germany and New Zealand, and their research and development centre is located in New Zealand. The team around CEO Greg Kushnir has developed a clear use case roadmap for their technology, starting with terrestrial wireless power transmission. For this, they have already signed contracts and run first field trials with Powerco & Ara Ake in New Zealand to test transmission via microwaves for rural areas. These tests were run across approximately 200 hundred metres. For early next year, they are planning additional pilot projects in the energy sector, with more details being announced soon. In 2022, they demonstrated their technology in Munich in collaboration with ESA, Airbus, and Technocarbon, and are currently planning additional pilot projects in the energy sector, with more details still to be announced.
More info: https://emrod.energy/
Solar Space Technologies
Solar Space Technologies is an Australia-based company founded by Serdar Baycan, and supported by John Mankins, according to their website. John Mankins is a world-wide renowned expert in the field of space-based solar power, and has been one of the leading figures in most of the feasibility studies facilitated by NASA over recent decades. He is also advisor to several other SBSP start-ups.
More info: https://www.solarspacetechnologies.com.au/
China
The level of investment in the Chinese SBSP program in space, is unknown, but China has signalled its interest by actively developing terrestrial Wireless Power Transmission demonstrations and facilities. China has announced several SBSP concepts, the MRS-SPS and the SSPS-OMEGA concept.
The Chinese Multi-Rotary Joints Space Power Satellite (MR-SPS) project is an innovative concept proposed by the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST). MR-SPS decomposes the high-power conductive rotary joint into several low-power conductive rotary joints. This approach enhances generator array expansibility and minimizes single points of failure. The “orb-shaped” SSPS-OMEGA, involves numerous linear solar arrays with multiple rotary joints. Unlike traditional SSPS designs, SSPS-OMEGA focuses on achieving high efficiency, light weight, and a simplified control strategy. Academician Duan Baoyan, who is a leading Chinese expert in space-based solar power, played a significant role in MR-SPS research. Duan was also involved in proposing the SSPS-OMEGA (Orb-Shape Membrane Energy Gathering Array) concentrator system for generating electricity in geostationary orbit. Duan Baoyan also leads Zhuri,” which means “chasing the sun,” the space solar power station (SSPS) and wireless power transmission facility.
In 2022, China already launched and tested several systems required for SBSP, including microwave energy transmission. Using the Zhuhai research satellite, they carried out a 300m line-of-sight microwave transmission and have tested a full-system model of a microwave-receiving power station at Chongqing University. China has stated the goal to deploy a 1-Megawatt solar energy station in orbit by 2030 and scale it up to 1-Gigawatt by 2050. China’s primary announced goal is to use this to provide reliable power for satellites, remote areas, and emergency situations.
The space agency is also now developing the reusable Long March 9 super-heavy lift launcher to enable the deployment of large SPS structures..
More info: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286148246_SSPS-OMEGA_A_new_concentrator_system_for_SSPS
Zhuri Wireless Power Demonstration
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ac8bvquVK-4
Infinity Energy, one of the first companies in China to focus on SBSP is a strategic partner of Astrostrom.
South Korea
In 2024, researchers at the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) successfully tested wireless power transfer over 1.81 kilometres to rectenna panels connected to an airship. Researchers at the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), in collaboration with Korea University, have made significant strides in enhancing the stability and efficiency of perovskite solar cells which could be used on solar power satellites. A recent study encompassed the conceptual design of the Korean Space Solar Power Satellite (K-SSPS), a proposed disposal method involving lunar surface impact for complete space debris removal, and the proposal for a small-scale pilot system in Korea to validate power transmission capabilities and functionality in the space environment.
Japan
Japan has been at the forefront of space-based solar power research. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) leads the world in this field, with a focus on developing systems that can convert solar energy from space into microwave or laser energy and transmit it to Earth for consumption. Japan plans to launch a low orbit SPS demonstration satellite called “OHISAMA” which will generate approximately 1 kW output in late 2025. This early in-orbit demonstration is part of their SPS development phase (2021-2030) leading to a full-scale 1-gigawatt power station in space by 2031.
More info: https://www.kenkai.jaxa.jp/eng/research/ssps/ssps-index.html
Luna Ring
Shimizu Corporation’s Luna Ring is a speculative engineering project which consists of a series of solar generators, disposed around the equator of the Moon, that could send the generated electric energy back to the Earth via microwaves from the near side of the Moon. In 2013, Shimizu Corporation stated that the construction of the Luna Ring could start as early as 2035.
More info: https://www.shimz.co.jp/en/topics/dream/content02/
Additional Resources:
Space Solar Power – 2023 Survey of Public and Private Initiatives
In his presentation at the 74th International Astronautical Congress (2023), Erik Kulu provides a comprehensive overview of all space solar power projects and developments.
https://www.factoriesinspace.com/graphs/Space-Solar-Power-2023_Erik-Kulu_IAC2023.pdf
Survey of Space Solar Power (SBSP)
White Paper by Virtus Solis
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/377865839_Survey_of_Space_Based_Solar_Power_SBSP
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