Scientists have a long-term solution to the problem as Europe struggles with an energy crisis and an impending conflict as a result of leaks in the Nord Stream pipes in the Baltic Sea. A spacecraft that might gather solar energy and send it down to the planet to be used has been proposed by scientists.
Theoretically, space-based solar power might assist in decarbonizing the energy sector, which now relies heavily on fossil fuels and is a major contributor to both climate pollution and more serious geopolitical issues. Recent examinations, according to the European Space Agency (ESA), show that the spacecraft is functional.
Dubbed Solaris, the satellite could be launched into the geostationary orbit, where it would harvest sunlight on a permanent 24/7 basis and then convert it into low-power density microwaves to safely beam down to receiver stations on Earth.
The physics involved in the mission would require the satellite to be at least a few kilometres long, as well as the antennas that would gather the space beams, according to the ESA. This poses a significant technical hurdle that must be solved.
Building such large-scale high-power electronics, high-efficiency photovoltaics, and radio frequency beam systems will be difficult. Low-power microwave radiation’s impacts on the health of people and animals, as well as the health of aeroplanes and satellites, would also need to be researched.
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