China is planning to build a massive solar power space station that could collect more energy in one year than all the oil on Earth. The project aims to lift large components into orbit using a brand-new heavy-lift rocket, dubbed the Long March-9.
The 1-kilometer-wide solar panel array will beam continuous energy back to Earth via microwaves, dwarfing the capacity of existing hydropower projects like China’s Three Gorges Dam. According to lead scientist Long Lehao, the space station would be as significant as relocating the dam to a geostationary orbit 36,000km above the Earth.
While solar power faces limitations on Earth, its capabilities in space are more promising due to 10 times more intense sunlight. However, assembling such a massive array requires multiple launches, and previous proposals have faced challenges.
To overcome this, China is developing the Long March-9 rocket, capable of lifting at least 150 tons into orbit. The project’s success would mark a major leap in Space-Based Solar Power (SBSP) technology, rivaling the capabilities of international players like Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman.
As other nations like Japan, the European Space Agency, and the U.S. also explore SBSP, China’s ambitious plan sets a new benchmark for solar energy collection in space.
Source: https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/china-plans-to-build-enormous-solar-array-in-space-and-it-could-collect-more-energy-in-a-year-than-all-the-oil-on-earth