Japan aims for world first in space-based solar power
12 hours ago
- #Renewable Energy
- #Japan Innovation
- #Space Technology
- Japan's OHISAMA demonstration satellite, set for launch in fiscal 2026, aims to revolutionize clean energy by delivering solar power from space to Earth.
- The satellite will be the first to convert transmitted solar power into usable electricity on Earth, using microwave technology.
- Space-based solar power (SBSP) offers advantages over ground-based systems, including independence from weather and the day-night cycle.
- A proposed model by Japan Space Systems envisions large solar arrays in geostationary orbit, capable of generating 1 gigawatt of power.
- The OHISAMA satellite will test microwave power transmission from a 450-km orbit to a ground station in Nagano Prefecture.
- Japan is a leader in SBSP technology, with extensive R&D in microwave power transmission and retrodirective beam control.
- Potential applications of SBSP include supporting lunar exploration missions, with commercialization eyed for the 2040s.
- The success of the OHISAMA mission depends on the performance of Space One's Kairos rocket, following previous launch failures.