One of the most debated issues of sustainability currently involves the issue of renewable energy. Now we are about to take another step towards sustainability through a00 solar power station in space.

The announcement was made by China, which undoubtedly is a major technological powers in the world. The project comes shortly after the successful visit of the Chinese probe that went to the far side of the moon.

The country is starting to prepare for the construction of the first solar power station in space, which promises to revolutionize everything we know about renewable energy sources.

Want to know more about it? So keep reading this post.

The Chinese project of the first solar power station in space

The project that China is developing is something very ambitious and have started the test phase in the city of Chongqing.

It is expected the project to be put into orbit between 2021 and 2025. The time is short and so China has invested high. So much so that its annual budget is just slightly below the budget of the United States. It’s as if the countries were in a new space race.

According to China, the solar power station in the stratosphere is only the first step. By 2030 the plans are of an expansion with capacity of 1 megawatt. Then, in 2050, the project is of even greater expansion.

Challenges of a solar power station in space

Placing a solar power station in space is not a simple task, and the first challenge is in relation to weight.

The facility is expected to have about 1,000 tonnes, which is 400 tonnes heavier than the current International Space Station. This will make the process of taking the station into space much more complex and dangerous.

Because of this, scientists have been studying alternatives. One of them will be using 3D printing techniques with robots. Thus, instead of taking large parts of the station into space, they would try to build it.

Another important question is how to use in the Earth the energy generated out there. The idea is to transmit this energy in the form of microwaves, but the possible negative consequences of this transmission to Earth are not yet known.

Other China projects

The space race is increasingly fierce, so that China has not only the design of the solar power station in space.

The country has a project for the development of private rockets. This initiative began to take shape after President Xi Jinping reduced the government’s monopoly on space launches.

Thus, small national technology companies began to emerge to go toe to toe with some companies already in evidence, known as Space Exploration Technologies, Elon Musk and Blue Origin.

Apparently, in the coming years we will have a great growth in space race, both government and private companies.

What did you think about China’s announcement to send a solar power station into space? Leave your opinion in the comments, subscribe to our blog newsletter and stay tuned!