ESA’s Bold Venture Into Space-Based Solar Power Plants

ESA has signed contracts for 2 parallel idea research for commercial-scale Space-Based Solar Power vegetation, representing an important step within the Agency’s new SOLARIS initiative – maturing the feasibility of gathering photo voltaic power from house for terrestrial clear power wants.

Due to be accomplished earlier than the top of 2023, the parallel contracts are being led by Arthur D Little and Thales Alenia Space Italy, respectively. These ideas will function an up-to-date reference for the general SOLARIS effort, guiding the scope of particular R&D actions that can observe.

Space-Based Solar Power includes harvesting daylight from Earth orbit after which beaming it right down to the floor the place it’s wanted. Credit: ESA – A. Treuer

The concept behind Space-Based Solar Power is to assemble solar energy the place it’s obtainable constantly and in plentiful provide, up in Earth orbit, unperturbed by native climate or darkness, then ship it down wirelessly to Earth the place it’s wanted. The idea enhances reasonably than competes with terrestrial renewables, as a result of Space-Based Solar Power could make energy obtainable reliably on an ongoing 24/7 foundation, offering much-needed stability to the electrical energy grid because the share of intermittent renewables continues to extend, lowering dependence on large-scale storage options.

SOLARIS was accredited on the ESA Council at Ministerial Level in November 2022 as a part of Element 1 of the present General Support Technology Programme. Working with European business, its purpose over the subsequent two and a half years is to undertake research and expertise developments to evaluate the advantages, implementation choices, business alternatives and dangers of Space-Based Solar Power as a contributor to terrestrial power ‘NetZero’ decarbonization for Europe.

An idea picture of a future in-orbit demonstrator for space-based solar energy. Sunlight up in Earth orbit is ten occasions extra intense than down on Earth’s floor, so the concept is to fly devoted satellites to seize photo voltaic power, then beam it right down to Earth – and doubtlessly the Moon or different planets additional into the longer term.
A brand new ESA Discovery venture is trying right into a key a part of the space-based solar energy course of: learn how to convert a considerable amount of solar energy right into a helpful type, then transport it right down to the bottom as effectively as attainable?
The fundamental idea dates again greater than a century to Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, one of many authentic prophets of house journey, then developed intimately by Czech-born engineer Peter Glaser from the 1970s onward.
Credit: ESA

Results from SOLARIS ought to enable Europe to make an knowledgeable determination by the top of 2025, on continuing with a full growth program for commercial-scale Space-based Solar Power, starting with a subscale in-orbit demonstrator to beam energy from house to Earth.

“These contracts are for the first European concept studies of Space-Based Solar Power for more than 20 years, so today marks an important step,” notes Sanjay Vijendran, ESA’s lead for SOLARIS. “We are really starting from a blank sheet of paper to get an up-to-date design for what working solar power satellites could look like, sourcing promising ideas from everywhere we can, and leveraging the latest advancements in space and terrestrial technologies.”

Space-based solar energy is a possible supply of fresh, inexpensive, steady, considerable, and safe power. This fundamental idea has been given contemporary urgency by the necessity for brand new sources of fresh and safe power to help Europe’s transition to a Net Zero carbon world by 2050. If Europe desires to profit from this game-changing functionality then we have to begin investing now. Credit: ESA – European Space Agency

The system studies’ blank sheet approach extends to the methodology of beaming down solar power from orbit, Sanjay explains: “The studies will look at as wide a range of options as possible, including investigating all the different ways to move the energy, safely and efficiently, down to Earth: radio frequency transmission, lasers and simply reflecting sunlight down to solar farms on the ground.

“And we are happy that we have major energy players like the French electricity utility ENGIE and the Italian utility ENEL, included as members of the study consortiums, reflecting the potential value the energy sector is already seeing in this capability for the future. It’s important that we engage the energy sector right from the start of this development and listen to their needs, so we know from the beginning that we are building something that end users will want and use.”

A previous solar-power satellite design. Credit: European SPS Tower concept

Unusually for system concept studies at an early phase, these are being implemented by ESA as though they are flight projects, with a rapid pace and strict milestones, because their results will dictate the follow-on studies planned for a sub-scale demonstrator mission as well as research projects into specific key technologies that SOLARIS will support.

The two studies are funded by ESA’s Preparation element, part of the Agency’s Basic Activities, that supports new ideas in space missions and technology. Additionally, SOLARIS funding for technology R&D projects will be made available through ESA’s long-running General Support Technology Programme.

Space-Based Solar Power involves transforming solar power into electricity via photovoltaic cells in geostationary orbit around Earth. The power is then transmitted wirelessly in the form of microwaves at 2.45 GHz to dedicated receiver stations on Earth, called ‘rectennas’, which convert the energy back into electricity and feed it into the local grid. Credit: ESA

“These activities demonstrate the importance of ESA’s Preparation element in supporting ambitious ideas to become a reality,” says Leopold Summerer, heading ESA’s Advanced Concepts and Studies Office. “Preparation-funded activities help ESA assess the interest from European industry in novel topics and lay the groundwork for future research and technology development to make them happen.”

SOLARIS is taking place at a time of growing global interest in energy from space. In the US, Caltech’s Space Solar Power Demonstrator satellite was launched into orbit in January to test key technologies including space-space microwave transmission of solar energy. Japan plans to fly a demonstrator mission in 2025, while China has its own demonstrator planned for 2028, with a ground-based wireless power transmission test facility already in place. Meanwhile, the UK government has been in discussion with Saudi Arabia to supply its Neom smart city region with carbon-free electricity from space.

Preparing Caltech’s Space Solar Power Demonstrator satellite for launch, which was flown to orbit on January 3, 2023. The personnel seen here are lowering a deployable solar panel and power transmitter structure over the main body of the satellite. Credit: Caltech/Space Solar Power Project

“There are a lot of fundamental reasons why Space-Based Solar Power is looking a lot more feasible and desirable than ever before,” adds Sanjay. “These include the reduced cost of launch to orbit with the advent of reusable launchers, the reduced cost of satellite hardware through mass production – seen with new constellations such as Starlink and OneWeb – and trends towards very modular solar power satellite designs.

“In addition, space robotics and in-space assembly and servicing technologies have really come a long way in the last two decades, which will be essential for the construction and maintenance of solar power stations. Finally, the sheer challenge of transitioning to Net Zero within the next 25 years with existing technologies – and the consequences of not doing so – demands exploration of alternative solutions that could help make sure we achieve our goal.”