Building Solar Farms in Space Becomes Possible

The world is currently making "steady" progress towards realizing the energy revolution. At this point, it is necessary to open a parenthesis to the concept of "steady". In fact, this transformation process, which we characterize as stable, expresses both a wish and continuity. Because, as we have stated in our previous articles, the energy revolution is not an ordinary, ordinary and easy process. Therefore, it contains serious difficulties and dangers within itself. In this context, it is possible to characterize the energy revolution as a process of radical structural change in the energy order in an extremely careful and programmed manner.

In short, the energy revolution should not be perceived merely as a preference for one energy source over another. Therefore, it is extremely wrong to consider the energy revolution solely within the scope of abandoning fossil fuels and transforming to renewable energy sources. This is because this process is part of a movement that aims at a radical structural transformation, including the change of the habits of societies that have been going on for centuries. Therefore, the world has entered a process of energy revolution in line with the lessons learned from past experiences. Although this process is full of difficulties and dangers, it is obvious that if it is carried out successfully, positive results will be achieved in many respects. In this context, in light of the available data, it is possible to state that good days are near.

Developing solutions to energy security problems is only possible with the support of new technologies that are developing and becoming more competitive. In this context, preferring renewable resources in energy production, utilizing efficiency potentials to the fullest in energy production and consumption processes, and turning to modern and clean energy technologies can be defined as the cornerstones of energy transformation. This approach is also at the center of the "Sustainable Development Goals" adopted by the United Nations (UN) in 2015 and announced a 15-year action plan (SHURA, 2022).

The mind-boggling advancement in technology also manifests itself in the field of renewable energy. So much so that the establishment of solar farms in space has recently been on the agenda. But can solar farms in space meet Earth's energy needs? Harvesting solar energy from space and sending it back to Earth in microwaves seems too good to be true. But according to Martin Soltau, co-chair of the Space Energy Initiative (SEI), a group of industry representatives and academics, it is possible by 2035. The SEI is working on a project called Cassopeia, which envisages placing a large number of giant satellites in Earth orbit. If the project is successful, the satellites will be able to collect solar energy after being placed in orbit and send it back to Earth. In this context, Soltau says that the potential of the project is almost limitless, and that the entire world's energy needs could be met by 2050. "There is enough space in orbit for solar power satellites. The sun can also provide an enormous amount of energy. A narrow strip around geostationary orbit takes 100 times more energy each year than humanity will use in 2050" (Woollacott, 2022).

It is known that similar technologies are being worked on elsewhere in the world. For example, this year, the UK government allocated £3 million to space-based solar power (SBSP) projects after the engineering consultancy Frazer-Nash confirmed the feasibility of this technology (Woollacott, 2022). It is possible to mention similar efforts by the major powers of the international system such as the US and China.

In this context, for example, while the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) in the US is working on some technologies that are crucial for such a system, China announced its plan to send a solar power plant into space in June 2022 (Woollacott, 2022; Smith, 2022). To make an assessment, it seems that China is one step ahead of the UK and the US. The details of the projects support this idea. For example, SEI's satellites are planned to consist of hundreds of thousands of small modules. These will be manufactured on Earth and assembled in space by autonomous robots. These robots will also be responsible for maintaining the satellites. The solar energy collected by the satellites will be converted into high-frequency radio waves and transmitted to a receiver on Earth that converts electromagnetic energy into direct current. In other words, radio waves will be converted into electricity. In this process, it is stated that each satellite can provide 2GW of energy to the grid. This means that each satellite will have power equal to that of a nuclear power plant (Woollacott, 2022).

On Earth, sunlight is scattered by the atmosphere. But in space, the rays come directly from the Sun without any interference. This is why a solar panel deployed in space can collect more energy than a panel of the same size on Earth.

SEI's research includes improving the efficiency of solar cells, converting solar energy into radio frequencies and beam formation, reducing large temperature fluctuations in spacecraft components, and developing designs for deployable structures. In this context, a team of leading experts in the field recently unveiled what they call sandwich tiles, which convert solar energy into radio waves.

Microwaves may sound a bit scary. But they are neither harmful to humans nor wildlife. Soltau said, "The beam is a microwave. It is like a wireless internet connection that is always in the air. The intensity is low. It's a quarter of the intensity of the sun's rays at noon. If you're in the middle of the desert, you get 1000W per square meter. This is 240W. So in this respect, it is inherently safe" (Yeşil Gazete, 2022). Therefore, from a theoretical point of view, it is obvious that SEI has made significant progress within the scope of the project. However, it seems to be one step behind compared to a number of projects ready to be put into practice in other parts of the world. In this context, it is possible to state that a number of obstacles in front of SEI have negatively affected the project. Technological inadequacy is one such example. For example, Dr. Jovana Radulovic, a renewable technology expert from the University of Portsmouth, stated that "the technologies that would enable us to undertake a project of this complexity are not yet ready" (Ramage, 2022).

China is undoubtedly the country making the fastest progress in solar energy production in space. Available data support China's pioneering position in this field. So much so that China, which has accelerated the launch of a solar power plant that will orbit the Earth in recent years, has set a date of 2028. Therefore, this date makes China a pioneer when compared to other projects that have pointed to 2035 and 2040 for tests. In addition, China has recently announced that it will test a test satellite concept orbiting 400 km from Earth. The satellite is planned to convert solar energy into microwaves or lasers and then send this energy to fixed locations on Earth. Although China's goal in the first test is to reach only 10 kilowatts of power, this is extremely important for the development of this technology. The full-scale solar cell array with high power transmission is expected to be completed by 2035. After completion, it is stated that this device will be capable of transmitting energy over a distance of 36 thousand kilometers. In addition, if production goes as planned, a more complex solar cell array with voltages between 10 and 20 kilovolts and two gigawatts of power - about the same as a nuclear power plant on Earth - will be installed by 2050 (Smith, 2022).

As a result, significant developments are being witnessed across the world in relation to energy transition. In this context, it is possible to state that the most important development has started to become visible at the point of technological development. Nevertheless, it should not be ignored that this dizzying progress in technology also harbors some threats. Because past experiences reveal that many developments in technology have been used to the detriment of humanity rather than for its benefit. In this context, it is possible to consider the use of nuclear energy as a destructive weapon in horrifying dimensions and the fact that this continues to be a threat today. However, similar threats are also mentioned in the context of solar energy production in space. For example, a Beijing-based researcher quoted by the South China Morning Post said that solar farms in space can produce energy much more efficiently than those on Earth, but that "such massive infrastructures in space could make many countries uncomfortable, especially those that do not have the technology or capacity to build them". This is because, when used as energy weapons, high-power lasers could also be used to disrupt communications or damage hardware (Smith, 2022). While this is something that has also been suggested by defense scientists, it raises concerns about the lack of international regulation protecting countries from the risks of an energy arms race.

References:

Ramage, J. (2022, Haziran 26). Solution To The Climate Crisis? Earth Takes A Step Closer To Sustainable Space-Based Solar Power. Kasım 20, 2022 tarihinde Euronews Next: https://www.euronews.com/next/2022/06/26/solution-to-the-climate-crisis-earth-takes-a-step-closer-to-sustainable-space-based-solar- adresinden alındı

SHURA. (2022, Kasım 20). Enerji Dönüşümü. Kasım 20, 2022 tarihinde SHURA: https://shura.org.tr/enerji-donusumu/ adresinden alındı

Smith, A. (2022, Haziran 9). Çin Uzaya Güneş Enerjisi Santrali Gönderecek. Kasım 20, 2022 tarihinde Independent Türkçe: https://www.indyturk.com/node/519756/bi̇li̇m/çin-uzaya-güneş-enerjisi-santrali-gönderecek adresinden alındı

Woollacott, E. (2022, Kasım 2). Uzaydaki güneş çiftlikleri, Dünya'nın enerji ihtiyacını karşılayabilir mi? Kasım 20, 2022 tarihinde T24: https://t24.com.tr/haber/u-zaydaki-gunes-ciftlikleri-dunya-nin-enerji-ihtiyacini-karsilayabilir-mi,1069594 adresinden alındı

Yeşil Gazete. (2022, Kasım 2). Fikir Jimnastiği: Uzayda Güneş Çiftlikleri Dünya’nın ‘Temiz Enerji’ İhtiyacını Karşılayabilir Mi? Kasım 20, 2022 tarihinde Yeşil Gazete Enerji: https://yesilgazete.org/fikir-jimnastigi-uzayda-gunes-ciftlikleri-dunyanin-temiz-enerji-ihtiyacini-karsilayabilir-mi/ adresinden alındı