Space based solar power pros and cons

How will NASA benefit from space-based solar power?

NASA is already developing technologies for its current mission portfolio that will indirectly benefit space-based solar power, the report found. These include projects focusing on the development of autonomous systems, wireless power beaming, and in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing.

Is space based solar power a good idea?

Space-based solar power doesn't suffer from the main drawback plaguing most main renewable energy generation technologies. In space, the sun always shines. No clouds ever block the sun's rays from reaching photovoltaic arrays. And if you choose the orbit wisely, you can even avoid the night.

Could space-based solar power be a sustainable alternative?

The OTPS report considered the potential of a space-based solar power system that could begin operating in 2050. Based on that timeline, the report found that space-based solar power would be more expensive than terrestrial sustainable alternatives, although those costs could fall if current capability gaps can be addressed.

Is space-based solar energy cheaper than ground-based energy?

When NASA adopted rosier assumptions—$500 per kilogram launch costs, electric space tugs to boost orbits, and cheaper hardware—it found that space-based solar power was not only just as cheap as ground-based renewable energy, but also just as green, in terms of its life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions.

What is space-based solar power?

Space-based solar power has many charms. For one, there are no clouds in space, and, in the right location, no night. In geostationary orbit, arrays of solar panels can track the Sun and gather energy 24/7, sending it to Earth in microwave beams gentle enough to avoid frying birds and airplanes.

Could a space-based solar power plant be in orbit?

His concept of an orbiting solar power plant called CASSIOPeiA (Constant Aperture, Solid-State, Integrated, Orbital Phased Array) has been adopted by the U.K. Space Energy Initiative as a starting point for a possible future space-based solar power plant demonstration. The initiative believes such a demonstrator could be in orbit by the mid-2030s.