Science

Scientists Transfer Solar Energy From Space To Earth

For the first time in history, researchers at the California Institute of Technology (CalTech) have been able to transmit solar energy from space to Earth wirelessly. They reported on their experiment on the website of the educational institution.

The experimental orbital installation Space Solar Power Demonstrator (SSPD-1), weighing only 50 kg, was sent into space in January. This device collected energy through solar panels, and then transmitted it to Earth in the form of microwave radiation. Unfortunately, scientists do not yet specify what power they managed to achieve, and in general there are few details about the experiment.

The authors of the project pay a lot of attention to their lightweight and flexible microwave transmitters, which, apparently, are the know-how of the scientists of the project. As stated in the press release, by using constructive and destructive interference between individual transmitters, a group of energy transmitters is able to shift the focus and direction of radiated energy without any moving parts. The transmitter array uses precise timing controls to dynamically selectively focus power at the right location using coherent addition of electromagnetic waves. This allows you to transfer most of the energy to the right place and nowhere else.

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