Inside China’s energy “Manhattan Project”

Chinese scientists recently announced an ambitious plan to build a 0.6-mile-wide solar power station in space, which aims to beam a massive amount of energy back to Earth via microwaves – kind of like a more peaceful version of the Death Star.

The project’s timeline has yet to be released by Chinese officials, who are comparing the effort to building the Three Gorges Dam – the world’s largest hydroelectric project – at an altitude 22,370 miles above Earth.

• When complete, the energy collected by the station each year would be equivalent to the total amount of oil that can be extracted from the Earth, according to renowned Chinese rocket scientist Long Lehao.

Why use space-based solar power? The benefits are simple: it allows for a higher collection of the Sun’s energy due to lack of atmosphere, as well the potential for 24-hour solar power. And recent developments in key technical areas – like lightweight solar panels, wireless energy transmission, and space robotics – have made the prospect more achievable.

But, similar to Jian Yang’s Not Hot Dog app, there are still a few obstacles to overcome before widespread adoption.

• Thus far, scientists experimenting with microwave technology across long distances have only been able to transmit enough energy to power a handful of LED light bulbs.
• Another major obstacle is getting the pieces of a massive solar power station into space – which China aims to address with a new Long March-9 reusable super-heavy rocket, also intended to take Chinese astronauts to the Moon.

⚡ Zoom out: Nearly all of the top global superpowers – including the US, UK, EU, Russia, India, and Japan – are currently working towards space-based solar power stations, in what many experts refer to as the “Manhattan Projects of the energy sector.”