The research project, Space Based Solar Power (SBSP), is investigating the use of space platforms – essentially large satellites – to collect solar energy and redirect it using laser beams operating at eye-safe wavelengths to specially equipped receiver on Earth. The on-board lasers will operate at powers which are comparable to a normal summer’s day and therefore safe for humans and animals to walk through.

The SBSP platform would preferably be placed in geostationary orbit to ensure a permanent visibility of ground receivers; from here energy can be directed to locations on the visible portion of the Earth’s surface.

With technologies that are potentially available in the reasonably short term, a single satellite would be capable of providing around 10 kW to the ground end-user with a laser power transmission system. This basic building block and improvements to it could then be used to construct multi-satellite systems providing power to users with no access to existing electrical power grids.

Astrium already masters and has delivered in a number of programmes the key technologies to make this project a reality – high-power telecommunications satellites, space-qualified mirrors (such as the one developed for the Herschel observatory), and laser technology.

Watch our video: http://www.astrium.eads.net/en/articles/energy-from-space-made-by-astrium.html