RANDOM NOTHINGNESS

The Japanese has yet again proven their prowess in terms of technology.

In their efforts to provide clean, inexhaustible and cheap energy, the Japanese are planning to launch solar panels in space, where solar energy is five times stronger than what we experience here on earth.  The technology, called Space Solar Power System (SSPS), is a project of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).  It would use solar panels to capture solar energy in space.  Harvesting solar energy in space is not really an old technology.  Most spacecrafts have been relying on solar energy for their power needs.  But the SSPS will go a little bit further by beaming the harvested energy back to earth through lasers and microwaves through special parabolic antennas.

The project has been ongoing for 20 years and this year, the dream is one step closer to reality.  Several Japanese high-tech giants have been invited to participate in the project.  The satellite will be launched in 2030 but two test launches will be done in 2020 wherein the power capacities of the test photovoltaic structure will be 10 MW and 250 MW.