The California Institute of Technology is set to launch a test version of a solar power generation system in space and a wireless power transmission system to Earth this January.
Simulation of the solar power generation test system in space. (Photo: Caltech).
Space Solar Power Project (SSPP) by the California Institute of Technology is ready to launch its first test system into orbit to assess new technology that could make the dream of harnessing energy in space a reality. The 50 kg test system will be deployed from the Momentus Vigoride spacecraft aboard a SpaceX rocket in January 2023. It consists of three main components: Deployable on-Orbit ultraLight Composites (DOLCE), Microwave Array for Power-transfer Low-orbit (MAPLE), and a set of 22 photovoltaic cells called ALBA.
Scientists will evaluate three main challenges of solar energy in space: deployment, efficiency, and wireless transmission back to Earth. ALBA and the MAPLE experiment will require time to be ready. DOLCE, designed to test photovoltaic cells and deploy the superstructure of the system, will proceed first and quickly.
Opening the superstructure of the system is a complex operation, akin to deploying the James Webb Space Telescope in January 2022. DOLCE will also test several new technologies for the first time in space, such as phased array antennas. This experiment utilizes the latest generation of ultra-thin composite materials to achieve unprecedented packing efficiency and flexibility.
Utilizing solar energy in space is not a new idea, but it is intriguing. Unlike solar power on Earth, satellites in space can avoid common limitations such as significant weather impacts and the prolonged day-night cycle.
A major challenge is lifting the 50 kg photovoltaic array to hundreds of kilometers above the Earth’s surface. ALBA will test the most efficient form of solar energy collection so that Caltech researchers can identify promising technologies that could make energy production in space economically viable.
Another significant obstacle that the MAPLE experiment will investigate is transmitting electricity from the satellite in space back to Earth. According to Ali Hajimiri, co-director of the SSPP project and professor of electrical engineering at Caltech, all equipment, including the transmitters and electronic chips for wireless power transmission, has been designed from scratch.
