There have been some fits and starts, and technology is still evolving. But now, JAXA, NASA and other agencies are much more serious about it. And JAXA has demonstrated transmission.
I remember having a discussion with +Jonah Miller on an earlier post - https://plus.google.com/u/0/+LacerantPlainerWrites/posts/Gg5Tw9tWHWJ which outlined the issues.
What has changed? : Firstly the name. SBS has been renamed 'Space-based stellar' energy. But more relevant, there have been advances in transmission, materials, funding and research which have been gathering momentum. And that maverick +Elon Musk has put his hat in the ring....
JAXA Transmission tests : The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or Jaxa, said it succeeded in transmitting electric power wirelessly to a pinpoint target using microwaves, which is an essential technology needed for the realization of space-based solar power. In space-based solar power generation, sunlight is gathered in geostationary orbit and transmitted to a receiver on Earth. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, more solar energy reaches the Earth every hour than humans use in a year. Unlike solar panels set on Earth, satellite-based solar panels can capture the energy around the clock and aren’t affected by weather conditions.
Is it safe? : While the energy is transmitted in the same microwaves used in microwave ovens, it doesn’t fry a bird or an airplane traveling on its path because of its low-energy density, according to the Jaxa spokesman. Of course, the SSPS is still far from perfect, but JAXA's latest success clears one of the biggest and most fundamental hurdles facing the program: delivering power from space without having to run an extension cord out to Low Earth Orbit.
Other initiatives Chinese scientists are also considering how they can build and put into orbit a massive space station that would supply a constant stream of solar energy to Earth. A sponsored research agreement with Northrop Grumman Corporation will provide Caltech up to $17.5 million over three years for the development of the Space Solar Power Initiative (SSPI). The SSPI will develop the scientific and technological innovations necessary to enable a space-based solar power system—consisting of ultralight, high-efficiency photovoltaics, a phased-array system to produce and distribute power dynamically, and ultralight deployable space structures—that ultimately will be capable of generating electric power at a cost comparable to that from fossil-fuel power plants.
References and Links
#solar #energy #space #NASA
Paper: http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/login.jsp?tp=&arnumber=1145675&url=http%3A%2F%2Fieeexplore.ieee.org%2Fxpls%2Fabs_all.jsp%3Farnumber%3D1145675
http://www.wsj.com/articles/japan-advances-in-space-based-solar-power-1426100482
http://www.caltech.edu/news/space-based-solar-power-project-funded-46644
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Solar_Power_Exploratory_Research_and_Technology_program
http://discovermagazine.com/2015/july-aug/19-stellar-energy
http://www.computerworld.com/article/2903588/china-considering-space-based-solar-power-station.html
http://www.engadget.com/2015/03/12/scientists-make-strides-in-beaming-solar-power-from-space/