One year ago Caltech’s Space Solar Power Demonstrator (SSPD-1) launched into space to demonstrate and test three technological innovations that are among those necessary to make space solar power a reality. The mission demonstrated three elements of the plan to beam solar power from space to Earth. The spaceborne testbed demonstrated the ability to beam […]

Open Image…Save ImageOpen Image (using #TmpD/ia)… The Caltech Space Solar Power Project (SSPP) prototype launched into orbit, dubbed the Space Solar Power Demonstrator (SSPD), will test several key components of an ambitious plan to harvest solar power in space and beam the energy back to Earth. Space solar power provides a way to tap into the practically unlimited supply of […]

Scientists at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) have a plan underway for a 1-gigawatt space-based solar power generator within just 25 years. JAXA is working directly on the main problems. Orbital solar power’s main problem is once the energy is harvested all the huge reservoir of energy is still out there in space. Early […]

NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program has started a Phase I effort to explore the overall viability and advance the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) for an orbital power station project called “SPS Alpha”, or Solar Power Satellite – Alpha. Last August, Artemis Innovation Management Solutions was selected for a NASA NIAC award to dive into […]

Carl Peart of New Mexico has a very different take on the electro mechanical battery (EMB) – solve the inherent problems of friction with air and bearings – by using them in orbital power stations.  No air or gravity, only centrifugal forces for drag. An EMB (a technical description of a flywheel) stores energy through […]

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