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from the what-could-possibly-go-wrong-with-a-gigawatt-laser-in-space? dept.
China wants to put a solar farm in space by 2025
According to China's state-backed Science and Technology Daily, Chinese scientists plan to build and launch small power stations into the stratosphere between 2021 and 2025, upgrading to a megawatt-level station in 2030 and a gigawatt-level facility high above the earth before 2050. Without atmospheric interference or night-time loss of sunlight, these space-based solar farms could provide an inexhaustible source of clean energy. The China Academy of Space Technology Corporation claims such a set-up could "reliably supply energy 99 per cent of the time, at six-times the intensity" of solar installations on earth.
China's proposal suggests converting solar energy into electricity in space, before beaming back to Earth using a microwave or laser and feeding into the grid via a ground receiving system.
Also at the Sydney Morning Herald.
See also: China Wants to Build the First Power Station in Space
(Score: 2) by ElizabethGreene on Tuesday February 19 2019, @06:19AM (7 children)
I'm positively giddy at the prospect. This is one of those technologies that could catalyze space based industry, tourism, and colonization. According to TFA the up mass is 1,000 tons assumably to GEO. That's 20 of the (not yet complete or tested) Long March 9 launches or 52 Falcon heavy launches.
I hope it works, and I'm excited to see them try. It's bittersweet though; I wish my country had been the one to try it. It's amazing what you can do when you aren't stuck in foreverwar.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 19 2019, @06:30AM (1 child)
The west can't not build one in response. Not only is this necessary for power generation, it will be necessary for maintaining MAD between the west and China.
(Score: 2) by Spamalope on Tuesday February 19 2019, @10:41AM
Yep. Maybe just a few ground based anti-sat beam weapons. If they're very vulnerable to the right countermeasure we may not want one ourselves. (Fusion is right around the corner, right?!? Same as the last 50 years...) They may only make sense in China's specific situation (given current launch costs). Ex: China may want power in non-Han areas to be something they can turn off at will, while also being a weapon if there is a revolt (over things like having a Han person forcibly live in the home to prevent their culture from being passed on to the kids maybe).
Power sats are beam weapons too without a doubt.
I'd think South Korea, Japan and Taiwan ought to be verifying they've got the appropriate anti-sat capability about now.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 19 2019, @10:45AM (2 children)
If it transmits any sizable amount of power, it is also a powerful weapon. Just direct the microwave or laser for a short time to your target instead of the power receiving station.
(Score: 2) by ElizabethGreene on Tuesday February 19 2019, @05:33PM (1 child)
Keep in mind that it will be in a geostationary orbit. They'll only be able to shoot targets on that side of the planet.
(Score: 2) by Mykl on Tuesday February 19 2019, @10:23PM
Only counting for over half of the world's population.
This may come as a shock to you, but there are people who care about targets that are not the US. But given that's all you might care about, here are some key US allies that could absolutely be targeted:
- Japan
- South Korea
- Taiwan
- Philippines
Or perhaps it could secretly be a Fully Operational Battlestationtm, able to alter its orbit?
(Score: 2) by HiThere on Tuesday February 19 2019, @06:00PM (1 child)
I think 2025 is insanely optimistic...maybe. If it was intended to power things that were out in space you could scale down the size a lot, and still receive hefty benefits. (Don't necessarily believe anything ANY politician says.)
Javascript is what you use to allow unknown third parties to run software you have no idea about on your computer.
(Score: 2) by ElizabethGreene on Tuesday February 19 2019, @08:50PM
It does sound optimistic, but it's not completely inconceivable to have a small pilot plant operating that quickly. Japan did a public ground demo of the power transmission tech in 2015 and a larger experiment from LEO last year. (Assuming they are using concentrators and a turbine) The turbine that is off-the-shelf technology that would have to be modified for use in free fall, and IIRC GE did proof of concept R&D on that in the 80s.
It's money and political will. Isn't it always?