How Space-Based Solar Power Works: TerraSpark on Wireless Energy Beaming from Orbit

About this episode

Sanjay Vijendran discusses the potential of space-based solar power as a clean energy source and the challenges involved in its implementation.

Sanjay Vijendran of TerraSpark joins Thinking on Paper to explain how space-based solar power could become a practical source of clean energy. TerraSpark is developing wireless power-transmission systems that could eventually collect solar energy in orbit and beam it to receivers on Earth. The company plans to demonstrate the concept by powering a live music event in Portugal and by testing radio-frequency power transfer aboard Dcube’s Arrakis mission. In this episode, we discuss: How space-based solar power works How energy can be transmitted wirelessly TerraSpark’s plan to power a concert in Portugal What its in-orbit power-beaming experiment will test The differences between radio-frequency and laser power transmission How near-infrared power beaming works How much energy is lost during wireless transmission Whether orbital data centres could use the same infrastructure How space-based solar could improve energy security Why spectrum regulation and interference testing matter What investors and regulators need to see before the technology can scale Sanjay explains the engineering, regulatory and commercial challenges behind power beaming, including transmission efficiency…

People in this episode

Hosts: Mark Fielding, Jeremy Gilbertson

Guest: Sanjay Vijendran

Topics covered

• space-based solar power
• wireless energy transmission
• clean energy
• energy security
• power beaming
• engineering challenges

Keywords

• solar energy
• wireless power transmission
• radio-frequency
• laser power transmission
• energy infrastructure
• spectrum regulation
• transmission efficiency

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: TerraSpark, Dcube

Books & works: Thinking on Paper

Places: Portugal

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