Though modest in scope, this proof-of-concept experiment could lead to bigger things.
Like, enormously bigger things.
SSPD-1 launched to space in January 2023 aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, integrated within Momentus Vigoride-5 spacecraft.
Conceptual image of SSPD-1.Image: Caltech/SSPP
Its mission was to collect solar power in orbit and transmit it both in space and back to Earth.
It also tested deployment mechanisms and innovative new solar technologies.
These three elements were considered the basic requirements for moving forward with a larger-scale project.
© Vicky Leta/Gizmodo
The ALBA component tested the efficiency of different photovoltaic cells in space.
This experiment involved 32 types of cells, some of which had never been used in space.
ALBAs crucial finding was identifying the most effective solar cells for space applications.
Graphic: Caltech/SSPP
This data will likely prove vital for optimizing solar power generation in future projects.
Experts ruminated over the possibility for decades, but it remained stuck within the confines of science fiction.
But the appeal of space-based solar never faded.
The interior of MAPLE, showing the transmission array at right and the receivers on the left. Image: SSPP
The interior of MAPLE, showing the transmission array at right and the receivers on the left.
The team detecting power from MAPLE on the roof of Moore Laboratory.
It took a few months for some of these things to be worked out.
The team detecting power from MAPLE on the roof of Moore Laboratory. Photo: Caltech/SSPP
We had, even until the end, issues with several different aspects of it.
But the major part of the mission was successful because we could find workarounds.
And theres the humanitarian and environmental aspect to consider.
A prototype antenna sheet for the power transmitter, displaying its flexibility. Photo: Caltech/SSPP
Space-based solar power promises an unlimited, clean energy source that could significantly reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.
The proposed system is also safe.
A prototype antenna sheet for the power transmitter, displaying its flexibility.
Left to right: Sergio Pellegrino, Harry Atwater, and Ali Hajimiri, the principal investigators of the Space Solar Power Project. Photo: Caltech/SSPP
The Space Solar Power Project brought together three multidisciplinary teams of aerospace engineers, physicists, and electrical engineers.
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