Solar Power Generation Experiment Station

How does a space solar power demonstration work?

The Space Solar Power Demonstrator's MAPLE experiment was able to wirelessly transfer collected solar power to receivers in space and direct energy to Earth. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Could a space power station be a precursor to solar power?

A collection of LEO (low Earth orbit) space power stations has been proposed as a precursor to GEO (geostationary orbit) space-based solar power. The Earth-based rectenna would likely consist of many short dipole antennas connected via diodes.

Can solar power power the International Space Station?

"Solar panels already are used in space to power the International Space Station, for example, but to launch and deploy large enough arrays to provide power to Earth, SSPP has to design and create solar power energy transfer systems that are ultra-lightweight, cheap, and flexible."

How has SSPP changed space solar technology?

"SSPP gave us a unique opportunity to take solar cells directly from the lab at Caltech into orbit, accelerating the in-space testing that would normally have taken years to be done. This kind of approach has dramatically shortened the innovation-cycle time for space solar technology," says Atwater. MAPLE: Wireless Power Transfer in Space

What is the space solar power project?

The Space Solar Power Project brought together three multidisciplinary teams of aerospace engineers, physicists, and electrical engineers. The PIs “had to learn new things, but most of the work was done by the postdocs, researchers, graduate students, and even some undergraduate students,” Hajimiri said.

What is space based solar power?

A step by step diagram on space based solar power. Space-based solar power (SBSP or SSP) is the concept of collecting solar power in outer space with solar power satellites (SPS) and distributing it to Earth.