In the midst of the energy transition, energy has been teleported from space to Earth for the first time. The sun has played a key role in the process. The high environmental footprint left by fossil fuels has forced humans to seek new forms of supply in the renewable field. In fact, energy has already been sought and found in the darkest part of the Arctic. Concern for the environment and the search for new options is generating a new paradigm around us, in which experts have opened their minds and expanded the possible scenarios.

Energies that were previously not contemplated or were unthinkable today could become a palpable reality. New energy sources are having a privileged place in the transition to a more sustainable and emission-free future.

When talking about renewables, many people think of wind, hydroelectric, geothermal or biomass energy. However, this time we will talk about one that comes from space. It is already known, but from another perspective.

Betting on solar energy coming from space: a new era begins for the Earth

Solar energy that is sent from space to Earth could be just what we have been looking for to obtain energy supply. A Caltech experiment showed the potential of this type of energy, a key moment for the use of orbital renewable energy. This information was made public when the winners of the Gizmodo 2024 Science Fair were announced. They were members of a multidisciplinary team from the California Institute of Technology.

They tested a satellite that tests the possibility of collecting solar energy in space and then sending it back to Earth as useful energy. Until now, this concept had encountered technological and economic challenges. The proposal is tantalizing: to provide a vast, uninterrupted supply of clean solar energy without being limited by the flow of day and night, seasons or weather. All this while potentially providing more energy than solar panels installed on the ground.

Caltech’s Space Solar Power Demonstrator (SSPD-1) was an unprecedented breakthrough in the development of solar power from space. Although moderate in scope, the experiment could lead to much larger projects. SSPD-1 reached space in January 2023 on a Falcon 9 rocket integrated with Momentus’ Vigoride-5 spacecraft.

Sending power from space to Earth: the project that has the world in suspense

Its goal was to collect solar energy in orbit and transmit it through space to Earth. Tests were conducted with deployment mechanisms and revolutionary new solar technologies. The initiative had three vital ingredients: DOLCE (to deploy the structure), ALBA (to collect the solar energy) and MAPLE (for wireless transmission of the energy). These were the basic requirements for pursuing an initiative on a larger scale.

Harry Atwater, who spearheaded the project as a materials engineer at Caltech, said the earlier concepts carried heavy, oversized structures and extensive fabrication in space. An impractical idea for sending them into space and, moreover, cost-prohibitive compared to the energy return they could send to Earth.

Under these circumstances, this type of power needed small, ultralight, affordable and flexible transfer systems for both launch and deployment. The advances made by DOLCE, ALBA and MAPLE were a significant step forward. The team overcame several obstacles during the mission, including at the deployment stage, which were not easy to resolve because of the challenge of working in space.

There is a relevant humanitarian and environmental component. Solar power of this type offers an unlimited source of clean energy that could be an ideal substitute for polluting fossil fuels. In short, the energy that comes to Earth with this project is key to the energy transition, as much or more than the megaproject that has Europe trembling.