JAPAN IS SET TO BECOME THE FIRST NATION TO HARNESS SOLAR POWER FROM SPACE
By venturing into space, Japan is elevating the idea of solar energy to a new level. A space-based solar power plant that can wirelessly beam energy back to Earth will be launched as part of the nation's OHISAMA project, which is named after the Japanese word for sun.
Koichi Ijichi, an adviser at Japan Space System, spoke about the operation of OHISAMA at the International Conference on Energy from Space in London in April 2024. During its orbit, a 400-pound test spacecraft equipped with a 22-square-foot solar panel will gather sunlight. Microwaves will subsequently be used to transport the captured energy to big antennas.
“The transmission will take only a few minutes,” Ijichi shared. “But once the battery is empty, it will take several days to recharge.”
The initial energy production of the satellite, scheduled for launch in 2025, will be quite low. According to current projections, it will transmit roughly 1 kilowatt of electricity at a height of 250 miles. For comparison, it is the energy required to run a dishwasher or other modest domestic device for one hour. Japan believes that this modest beginning can grow into something more, even though it is undoubtedly not life-changing.
After successfully demonstrating transmission from a moving aeroplane, researchers must now venture into space. One day, massive power satellites that can generate up to one gigawatt of solar energy are hoped to be launched. Even at this tiny size, they are at the forefront, whether they succeed or fail. And if OHISAMA can get its test satellite into orbit, it will be making history.
