China plans to build ‘Three Gorges dam in space’ to harness solar power
Space-based solar power stations collect energy from the sun in Earth’s orbit and transmit it to the ground, providing continuous power. This is referred to internationally as the “Manhattan Project” of the energy sector.
Space-based solar stations can collect energy without being affected by seasons or day-night cycles. Also, the energy density is much higher in space – about 10 times the average on the Earth’s surface.
“We are working on this project now. It is as significant as moving the Three Gorges Dam to a geostationary orbit 36,000km (22,370 miles) above the Earth. This is an incredible project to look forward to,” said Long Lehao, a rocket scientist and member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE).
The Three Gorges Dam in central China is the world’s largest hydropower project. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze, China’s longest river, the dam has an annual power generation capacity of about 100 billion kWh.
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China’s space plans: lunar GPS, a 3D-printed moon base and soil samples from Mars
China’s space plans: lunar GPS, a 3D-printed moon base and soil samples from Mars
“Imagine installing a solar array 1km wide along the 36,000km geostationary orbit,” Long added as he delivered a lecture hosted by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in October.