Researchers in Ireland have made a significant advancement in the development and deployment of solar energy harvesting technology in space. Satellites specifically designed for this purpose could collect solar energy and relay it back to Earth using microwave beams, thus providing a potentially limitless supply of renewable energy. This exciting project has been the focus of scientists from Queen’s University Belfast.
The scientists, in collaboration with UK firm Space Solar Ltd, have successfully exhibited a prototype at Queen’s Centre for Wireless Innovation (CWI) – a world-first occurrence. According to Dr Neil Buchanan, the head researcher, positioning a solar farm in space, as opposed to earth, holds the advantage of uninterrupted power supply regardless of weather conditions.
Experts affirm that the economics behind space solar energy are sound, with a space solar panel producing over twelve times the renewable energy of its Earth-bound counterpart due to increased light intensity and lack of atmospheric disruptions or nightly disruptions. Calculations from Space Solar suggest that a satellite hosting a 2km diameter antenna could deliver 2 gigawatts of ceaseless power, which could fuel one million households on Earth.
The plan is to upscale this technology, with Dr Buchanan indicating that space trials might be realised by 2030, possibly leading to large scale power transmission to Earth within the next ten years. The team envisage the deployment of several hundred satellites, which would each necessitate more than 60 rocket flights as well as automated set-up, thereby catering for a significant part of global energy demands.
Over a decade of ground-breaking research at CWI has been dedicated to overcoming challenges such as the creation of a satellite that can continuously face the sun, navigate around moving objects and transmit power back to a specified spot on Earth. The power satellite model, CASSIOPEIA, developed by Space Solar, offers a pioneering solution with a robust state power-beaming structure and 360-degree beam control.
A satellite prototype, equipped with more than 150 individual antennas and measuring half a metre in diameter, has successfully undergone testing inside the CWI’s anechoic chamber. This chamber mimics the conditions experienced 20,000 miles above our planet, providing a controlled testing environment. Further testing and fine-tuning of the technology will be undertaken next year at CWI, with the aim to scale it up, noted Dr Buchanan.
The satellite was operational within the first thirty minutes after activation, causing much excitement within the team. Despite the high initial costs, as rocket launching is not cheap despite the diminished costs over the past decade, the technology will start generating substantial revenue once the satellites are operational. In addition to creating a viable business model, this endeavour promises to have a substantial positive environmental influence, presenting a lasting and clean energy source.
According to Martin Soltau, the co-chief executive at Solar Space, within six months, a world-first demonstration of a 360 degree power-beam steering, an essential feature for an operational power satellite, has been delivered. The team is eager to expand on this victorious project so as to scale up the technology. Solar power from space can aid in energy transition by providing a reliable and affordable source of energy.
The group also created a “cross-helical antenna array structure” for energy transmission over long distances, alongside a highly efficient microwave-energy transmitter.