chrisdh79 OP t1_ixcseks wrote
From the article: The European Space Agency (ESA) is set to approve a three-year study to determine whether sending huge solar farms into space could effectively meet the world's energy demands, a report from the BBC reveals.
A space-based solar power plant would be launched into a geostationary orbit, meaning it would orbit in a fixed location over the Earth that would be hit by the Sun 24/7.
So, if all goes to plan, the technology could one day harvest massive amounts of energy from space — enough to power millions of homes.
The ESA's space-based solar power initiative is called Solaris, and it is one of several similar projects worldwide, including ongoing research by China's Xidian University, which has built a 75-meter-tall (246-feet-tall) steel tower to test the technology for a ground receiving station, and Caltech's Space Solar Power Project.
Research ministers at the ESA's triennial council are expected to meet today, Tuesday, November 22, to discuss the ESA'S idea. They will also consider several other proposals before deciding the budget for the next phase of the space agency's space technology development plans.
In an interview with the BBC, ESA director general Josef Aschbacher said, "we do need to convert into carbon neutral economies and therefore change the way we produce energy and especially reduce the fossil fuel part of our energy production. If you can do it from space, and I'm saying if we could, because we are not there yet, this would be absolutely fantastic because it would solve a lot of problems."
quettil t1_ixd7wwc wrote
> in a fixed location over the Earth that would be hit by the Sun 24/7.
What part of the Earth is hit by the Sun 24/7?
toodroot t1_ixe0eq2 wrote
GEO satellites are in constant sunlight except around the equinoxes, when they are in the shadow of the Earth for up to 72 minutes per day.
sisco98 t1_ixdce1v wrote
Without reading the article, my guess would be high above the North Pole
unclepaprika t1_ixdpni2 wrote
Tell me again how geostationary orbits work over the poles?
stewake t1_ixespx9 wrote
They rotate in place and fire their engines 24/7. ESA will need to develop a solar based engine to meet the demand of polar geostationary orbit /s
Jobotics t1_ixgcbqx wrote
Hypothetically speaking, you could put solar panels on a helium balloon and float it above the horizon at the north pole and gain the advantage of being in sunlight 24/7 and not have to convert it to microwaves to beam the energy back to earth.
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Hateitwhenbdbdsj t1_ixdu2ez wrote
Imagine an orbit going over both poles with the solar panels perpendicular and facing the sun
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