EADS Astrium builds a solar power plant on the universe

EADS Astrium, Europe's largest space research company, plans to bring a satellite into orbit to collect solar energy in the universe and transfer this energy to power Earth through laser beams. infrared.

Astrium's chief executive, François Auque, said the system is in an experimental phase, but also stressed that it could soon complete a feasible system to capture and transfer energy from the universe.

According to Mr. Auque, solar energy production is an attractive idea because it is clean and limitless energy.

Unlike solar power plants on Earth, devices that absorb solar energy on orbit can operate all day, not affected by clouds, dust and gas in the atmosphere.

That means that the energy level absorbed by the photovoltaic panels in the atmosphere will be much greater than the photovoltaic panels on the ground.

Astrium has experimented with infrared laser energy transmission and it is now focusing on improving the efficiency of the system in the hope of achieving 80% efficiency in the process of converting infrared energy into electricity. power.

Astrium's chief technology officer, Robert Laine, said the current level of processing power in the company's system is limited by the size of the laser that can be created.

According to him, a delegation should be established to assess the effectiveness of the system and this process may take place within this decade.

The concept of utilizing solar energy in the universe has been discussed for at least the last three decades, but it seems that it is almost impossible to overcome the problem of energy loss while transmitting to Earth or the problem. in terms of cost as well as difficulty in assembling a large volume of solar collectors in the universe.

However, Astrium is not the only company about to make this idea a reality.

In September 2009, Japan also announced plans to come before 2015 to bring a small satellite into orbit to collect solar energy and then transmit electricity to Earth with microwaves.