Last Wednesday, the Council of Ministers of the European Space Agency (ESA) said that it will continue to study the feasibility of creating space-based solar energy.
The idea is to launch large solar farm satellites into orbit around the Earth so that they can harvest the sun’s energy outside the Earth’s atmosphere, where it is more intense, and transmit it wirelessly to receivers on Earth.
The ESA says that in theory, this vehicle, a real power plant, could provide stable power to European grids as nuclear, hydro, coal and gas plants currently do.
The CEO, Josef Aschbacher, said at a press conference: “If it works, if we can set up a solar power plant in space on the order of a gigawatt – that’s the order of magnitude we’re aiming for – and use it sustainably on the ground, it will be a huge game changer “.
The decision authorizes a preliminary study on the technical, political and economic viability of the idea ahead of the next ministerial meeting in 2025, when the decision whether to launch a full development plan will be on the agenda.
The idea has been around for decades, but recent events, including the climate crisis, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and a dramatic drop in the cost of heavy launches to orbit, have brought it to the fore.
In August, ESA published two cost-benefit studies it commissioned from consulting firms in the UK and Germany. They concluded that such a space-based solar power plant could provide competitively priced electricity by 2040, replacing fossil fuel energy sources and reducing the need for large-scale storage solutions.
The biggest technological hurdles they identified included robotic assembly of the solar panel arrays in space, wireless transmission of solar energy over thousands of miles, and the availability of a competitive and reliable space launch market.
Separately, the US, China and Japan are reported to be exploring the idea. The UK, a member of ESA, allocated £3 million to research into such a tool in July.
22 member states of ESA, which is independent from the European Union.
The ministers of the ESA member states meet every three to four years to agree on the body’s priorities and commit to funding their countries.
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