China Plans to Build Solar-Power Plant In Space By 2028

China, as a part of its ambitions project, is eyeing to come up with a solar power plant in space by 2028. The target year for launching a solar power plant in space is two years ahead of its scheduled time. The research was conducted by a “Daily Project” research team led by Duan Baoyan of Xidian University, reported the official statement.   

As per the official release, the researchers have successfully tested the technology that will be able to transmit solar power to Earth. “The world’s first full-link and full-system space solar power plant ground verification system successfully passed experts Group acceptance,” the note read. 

The plant, which is a steel structure, is set up on the southern campus of Xidian University. Its height is 75-metre. The structure has five subsystems that keep an eye on the solar power arrays, reported Gizmodo. 

The project is a part of OMEGA [Orb-Shape Membrane Energy Gathering Array], a space-based solar power proposal announced in the year 2014.

The ultimate goal of OMEGA, after the successful set-up in geostationary orbit, is to store Sun energy. The next step involves its conversion to electrical energy. And, the final step is to transmit it to our home planet Earth.

A similar type of project was announced by NASA in 2019. The space agency called it SPS-ALPHA (Solar Power Satellite via Arbitrarily Large Phased Array).

In its official announcement note, NASA said that SPS-ALPHA is a “bio-mimetic approach to the challenge of space solar power.” On what will the outcome if the project turns out to be a success, the space agency said, “If successful, this project will make possible the construction of huge platforms from tens of thousands of small elements that can deliver remotely and affordably 10s to 1000s of megawatts using wireless power transmission to markets on Earth and missions in space.”