China to build solar power plant in space ‘by 2028’ – and send energy back to Earth with ‘laser beam’
CHINA is still set on building a solar power plant in space by 2028 as part of the country’s huge plans.
The futuristic project will be used to beam energy back to Earth.
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It’ll also be used to drive the satellites in orbit.
China plans to test key parts needed to make it a reality on their new Tiangong space station, a senior official told state media.
The secretive state’s answer to the International Space Station (ISS) received its final part at the beginning on November.
It features robotic arms on the outside which will be used to try out on-orbit assembly of pieces for a full blown solar power test system, chief designer Yang Hong is quoted as saying by CGTN.
After, the power plant will get to a higher orbit and expand its antenna and battery arrays, and an accompanying satellite will be launched, he added.
The ambitious idea will generate solar energy the same way kit back on Earth does, using the Sun’s rays.
Big polluter China is hoping the plan will help it towards a goal of being carbon neutral by 2060.
2028 is the year China wants to get testing a small scale power plant.
But it’ll only be able to generate 10 kilowatts of electricity, which is just about enough to power a handful of homes.
By 2035, an extended power plant will be able to distribute even more energy.
The big goal of 2050 is when China wants to be able to generate as much energy as a current nuclear plant.
Nasa proposed a similar idea more than two decades ago but it never got off the ground.
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