Space Canada and the International Academy of Astronautics are in the midst of a three day international symposium on solar energy via satellites in space.
The event is being held at the Ontario Science Center in Toronto, Canada and the Master of Ceremonies is none other than Bob McDonald, science correspondent for CBC and host of their radio program “Quirks and Quarks“.
‘From the Sun to the Earth’
The symposium ‘From the Sun to the Earth‘ is aiming to highlight the incalculable benefits of capturing the abundant, carbon-free energy of the sun and beaming its power to our planet. The sun is always shining in deep space, so a solar satellite could operate 24/7. In space, an orbiting solar satellite would be out of the earth’s nighttime shadow and would absorb ten times the amount of energy than solar panels on the ground. Other forms of alternative energy, such as wind, ground solar, and biofuel, could only ever produce a quarter of our current energy needs – and consumption is expected to triple by 2100.
A giant solar satellite could be kilometers wide because weight is not an issue in space. Sunlight gathered by the satellite would be converted to a microwave or laser beam and would then be transmitted to special ground stations on earth. Such a system would be capable of providing more than all of our current energy needs. That’s why scientists, policy makers, and visionaries are so interested in this proposal.
Challenges Ahead – But Worth a Try
The idea is not so new as it is daunting. For decades, scientists dreamed of harnessing the incredible power of the sun raining down from space to provide clean electricity to earth. The bold idea was too impossible to achieve before, but it seems the time has come. It is now thought to be a feasible project, albeit costing hundreds of billions of dollars. The space shuttle missions cost $1 billion per flight. The largest space construction project to date, the International Space Station, will cost over a hundred billion dollars to complete. This price tag is small compared to the costs of building an energy-generating space satellite.
Other countries, such as Japan, are working on similar ideas. Private rocket companies are building unmanned space vehicles to make space travel cheaper. And countries such as Canada are leaders in building highly advanced space robots. With everyone getting on board, the project is closer to reality than it’s ever been. There are still many other challenges, such as assuring the public that beaming energy from space would pose no health risks to humans, as well as security issues and choosing locations for setting up ground stations.
Overcoming the hurdles to an initiative of such magnitude will not be easy, but, according to many experts, the benefits would be well worth it. The answer to our insatiable need for energy could be hanging right over our heads. It may prove to be a real bright idea!
“From the Sun to the Earth” – Short video after the jump.
