The South China Morning Post reported on 9th January 2025 that China is planning to build a solar farm in space. Long Lehao, a Chinese aerospace engineer and member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, claimed that the aim is to build a solar farm that is 1km-wide. The energy collected in one year would be equivalent to the total amount of oil that can be extracted from the Earth.
Figure 1: Astronaut beside satellite. [5]
The energy would be converted to microwaves and beamed down to Earth. Long suggested that the project would be as significant as moving the Three Gorges Dam to a geostationary orbit (meaning it has an orbital time equivalent to the Earth’s rotational period and always remains at the same point above the Earth’s surface) 36,000km above the Earth. For context, this is a significant hydroelectric gravity dam, measuring 2,335 metres long, named based on its location downstream of the Three Gorges along the Yangtze River in China. It is expected that a reusable rocket capable of carrying up to 150 tons (named the Long March-9) would be used to launch the solar farm into orbit.
Solar Panels in Space – Overcoming Challenges
Solar panels are engineered to harness the sun’s energy to generate electricity. To date, solar panels are used on satellites and the International Space Station, however there are no space-based solar panel systems in operation otherwise. Various ideas have been researched and put forward, we previously wrote an article on the topic 4 years ago. The main hurdle is space launch costs, alongside the technological hurdles of transmitting the energy back to Earth. The potential efficiency of solar panels in space is much higher than on Earth, as they would be unaffected by seasons or daylight, and the Earth’s atmosphere. In fact, space-based solar panels are estimated to be up to 10 times more efficient.
A Blueprint for the Future?
Japan is also planning to test a space-based solar power station this year using a small, proof-of-concept satellite, and in 2022 the European Space Agency said it would carry out a feasibility study into space-based solar power generation. It is clear that this is all conceptual at this stage, held back by the massive cost and logistics of sending several tonnes of material into space. Whether the latest plan by China is another piece in the jigsaw or not remains to be seen, but with more efficient rockets, lighter materials, and 3D printing coming into play, it’s not unreasonable to imagine a solar farm in space in the future. After all, efficiency is about making the maximum use of the available resources, and now is the time to think beyond the limitations of the Earth in the search for environmental sustainability.
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References
[2] https://www.dezeen.com/2025/01/21/china-space-solar-farm/
[3] https://www.pagerpower.com/news/solar-panels-in-space/
[4] https://www.globalconstructionreview.com/european-space-agency-to-probe-solar-power-from-space/
[5] NASA (2015) from Unsplash.com. Last accessed on 18th February 2025. Available at: https://unsplash.com/photos/photography-of-astronaut-beside-satellite-OLlj17tUZnU
