China is making great strides across many fields, including robotics. The nation is now reportedly aiming to create a solar power station in space.
Although this may sound like a crazy idea (sorry not sorry), the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River is pretty similar to what the country has already achieved. This is the largest hydroelectric power station in the world. It has more than 20 times the energy generating capacity of Hoover Dam. This new idea is reported in the
South China Morning Post (),imply that China wants the Three Gorges Dam to be converted into a geostationary solar power station. It will take a long time to complete, but the end result could be a source of endless energy.
Space based solar power systems, like the one China is planning to build, use a series mirrors that concentrate sunlight onto panels. These panels could generate electricity by using solar energy. This energy could then be converted into microwave radiation and beam down to Earth.
Tech. Entertainment. Science. Your inbox. Sign up to receive the most interesting news in tech & entertainment.
I have read and agree to the Terms and Conditions by signing up.
It is a brilliant way to approach the concept of limitless energy. Space-based solar power plants would be able generate more electricity than solar panels on Earth because they wouldn’t have to worry about weather or other factors that make solar energy on Earth so unreliable.
According to reports, China’s space-based array could generate enough energy to equal the amount of oil we could ever extract on Earth in a year. It’s crazy to think about it, but if China is able to pull it off it will have a major impact on the power industry.
Ofcourse, it will take more than hopes and dreams to pull it off. This project is huge. It is so large that the South China Morning Post reports that many call the idea of a solar power station in space the “Manhattan Project”. But the nation appears to be determined to succeed in this endeavor.
