China Completes Key Verification for Space-Based Power Stations

A technology once confined to science fiction—orbital solar power stations transmitting energy to Earth via wireless microwaves—is gradually becoming reality, thanks to recent advances by Chinese research teams.

On May 19, Hong Kong’s *South China Morning Post* noted that researchers from the "Sun-Chasing Project" at Xidian University in Xi’an recently successfully tested a wireless power transmission system capable of simultaneously supplying power to multiple moving targets. The system demonstrated stable kilowatt-level microwave energy transmission while precisely tracking dynamic objects—a breakthrough considered foundational for future space-based solar power stations.

According to reports, the research team had already completed the construction of a full-chain ground verification platform for this system as early as 2022, and has recently further validated its ability to deliver synchronized power to multiple targets under dynamic conditions. At the heart of the system is a 75-meter-tall test tower, designed to simulate and verify the entire process of future space energy systems within terrestrial environments.

Test results showed that the system successfully achieved directional microwave transmission of 1,180 watts over a distance of approximately 100 meters, maintaining high-precision control of the microwave beam. In another experiment, a drone flying at 30 kilometers per hour received a stable 143 watts of radio power from a distance of just 30 meters.

Moreover, Xinhua News Agency reported that this research has significantly improved solar concentration and photovoltaic conversion efficiency in space power generation. It has also made key progress in integrating, miniaturizing, and lightweighting transmission and receiving antennas—laying a solid foundation for equipment deployment in space.

The Hong Kong media particularly highlighted that the Chinese research team independently developed a ground verification system for space-based solar power stations capable of microwave wireless power transmission to multiple moving targets. During tests conducted over distances on the order of hundreds of meters, the system achieved a wireless energy transmission efficiency of about 20.8%, meaning roughly one-fifth of the input electrical power was effectively converted into usable electricity.

In comparison, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory conducted a microwave energy transmission experiment back in 1975, reporting a system efficiency of 54%. However, that experiment took place under highly controlled conditions and did not involve real-time tracking or power delivery to moving targets.

In recent years, space-based solar power stations have entered a critical phase transitioning from theoretical exploration to engineering application. The research at Xidian University is led by Academician Bao-Yan Duan, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, who has long been dedicated to advancing the concept of orbital solar power stations.

In 2014, Duan’s team proposed an innovative Omega design plan, aiming to deploy such a station in geostationary orbit about 36,000 kilometers above Earth, followed by intensive scientific research. Originally envisioned as a large ring-shaped structure, the team introduced a new engineering approach in a 2023 research paper, addressing key technical challenges present in earlier designs.

The updated design shifts toward a distributed architecture composed of multiple small, coordinated units—rather than a single massive structure—aligning closely with NASA’s “SPS-ALPHA” (Solar Power Satellite via Arbitrarily Large Phased Array) concept.

Duan explained that building a space-based solar power station is akin to deploying a microwave charging station in a designated orbit in space. This would break the traditional reliance of satellites solely on their own solar panels, enabling the use of advanced microwave wireless power transmission technology to create a “wireless charging hub” for satellites across the vastness of space.

The primary advantage of space-based solar power stations lies in their ability to continuously receive uninterrupted solar radiation in the orbital environment, theoretically enabling round-the-clock, weather-independent power generation. The generated energy is then converted into microwave beams and directed toward Earth or other spacecraft, facilitating cross-space energy distribution.

CNN News Channel 18 commented that the latest breakthrough by the Chinese research team marks a crucial step forward in China’s long-term project on space-based solar power stations.

According to Xinhua, during a recent evaluation meeting organized by Shaanxi Province’s Technology Transfer Center, expert panels unanimously agreed that the project’s outcomes generally reach international leading levels, playing a significant pioneering and supportive role in advancing China’s future development of space-based solar power stations and related theories and technologies in microwave wireless power transmission. The prospects for industrialization and engineering applications are broad.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1865692276502537/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.