China Academy Of Space Technology Plans To Conduct Experiments On Space Solar Power Technology

Recently, the Capitol Hill daily published a report entitled "China's space solar project could be a disruptor in clean energy" about China's development of space solar power.

According to Space News, the Chinese Academy of Space Technology plans to conduct experiments in space solar power technology that could become a disruptor in the clean energy sector. It is also a powerful tool for China to expand its influence around the world.

First, China will launch a 10 kW solar collector into near-Earth orbit in 2028, which is capable of transmitting solar energy to a ground-based receiving station. Then, by 2030, China will deploy a 1 MW solar power station in geostationary orbit, capable of transmitting solar energy across 35,800 km to the Earth's surface.

After that, China will build another 10 MW station in 2035, culminating in a 2 GW plant capable of powering major cities in 2050.

The power station will have huge solar panels 1km wide, which means the ability to assemble large-scale infrastructure in space. Maybe the Chinese must mine raw materials on the moon and manufacture components in space before they can build space solar power plants to save on the cost of launching from Earth.

China's Xidian University has built a ground-based verification system for a space solar power plant. According to "Space News" reports, this verification system has broken through and verified a number of key technologies such as high-efficiency light concentrating and photoelectric conversion, microwave conversion, microwave emission and waveform optimization, microwave beam pointing measurement and control, and microwave reception and rectification.

If China succeeds in realizing space-based solar power, it will gain numerous advantages.

First, China will become a leader in green energy technology. China is currently a world leader in the construction of coal-fired power plants.

Second, developing such technologies will make China a first-class aerospace power. Space solar related industries will give China a dominant position in related fields.

Finally, space solar will be an important part of the "One Belt, One Road" initiative, which aims to link China with most developing countries through infrastructure investment. Imagine if you were a national leader with abundant domestic resources but poor infrastructure, and China provided you with at least 2 GW of clean energy in space, what would you do?

The United States and other signatories of the Artemis Agreement should be careful. The first nation to develop space for Earth's development will have the future.