Groundbreaking research transmits energy from space to Earth
CBS News・2 minutes read
In 2021, Ali Hajimiri and his team successfully transmitted energy from space to Earth using a microwave beam, paving the way for potentially revolutionizing carbon-free energy production with the goal of commercially available space-based power within the next decade or two. The milestone achievement brings Isaac Asimov's vision of a world powered by solar energy from space closer to reality, addressing the challenge of capturing and transmitting enough energy back to Earth to meet global energy needs.
Insights
- Ali Hajimiri and his team at Caltech successfully transmitted energy from space to Earth using a microwave beam, paving the way for a potential revolution in carbon-free energy production.
- The long-standing challenge of capturing and transmitting sufficient solar energy back to Earth may be overcome by the team's plan to develop large "flying carpets" in space, marking a significant step towards commercially available space-based power within the next two decades.
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Recent questions
How did scientists transmit energy from space to Earth?
Scientists transmitted energy using a microwave beam.
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Summary
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"Space-based solar energy closer to reality"
- In 1941, Isaac Asimov imagined a world powered by solar energy from space, which became closer to reality with the recent successful transmission of energy from space to Earth by scientists in Pasadena, California.
- The team, led by Ali Hajimiri from Caltech, achieved this milestone using a microwave beam of energy sent from a satellite in space to Earth, potentially revolutionizing carbon-free energy production.
- Solar power currently supplies 3-4% of global energy needs, but the challenge has been capturing and transmitting enough energy back to Earth, a problem Hajimiri has been working on for decades.
- The team plans to build large "flying carpets" in space to capture and send energy back to Earth, with the first step being sending a satellite with a prototype module into space, aiming for commercially available space-based power within a decade or two.
