|
Space Frontier Foundation Updates
- We hosted a successful congressional briefing about SBSP on the Hill on September 30, with 50+ staffers in attendance, representing the Arms committee, Energy, Commerce & Science committees.
| |
-
Our latest article on SBSP, featured in the POWER energy magazine, showcases its potential to address energy needs across industries like data centers, humanitarian aid, and national security.
| |
|
Other Notable Updates
-
Robinhood co-founder Baiju Bhatt launched his SBSP startup Aetherflux, bringing SBSP into the public eye. What sets their strategy apart is their modular approach. Instead of geostationary orbit, they plan to place a constellation of small satellites in low-Earth orbit. They have also joined the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, increasing their visibility and representation in national and international forums.
-
Starship demonstrated a successful "chopsticks landing" further bringing down launch costs by reducing turnaround time and transportation costs, a key development step towards launching the large SBSP satellites.
-
Reykjavik Energy and Icelandic sustainability initiative's Transition Labs has partnered with UK-based Space Solar to bring SBSP to Iceland by 2030. The scheme, dubbed Merlin, plans for a 30-megawatt output, powering 45,000 homes.
-
Space Solar co-CEO Martin Soltau joined a Caltech Entrepreneurs Forum panel to discuss innovations in the power grid, specifically how SBSP can democratize internet access to Asia, Africa, and island nations.
- Prior to the International Astronautical Congress 2024 in Milan, the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) Permanent Committee on Space Solar Power held a workshop and symposium.
-
Reflect Orbital, a startup that aims to beam sunlight to existing solar farms (as opposed to increasing photovoltaic efficiency, finding ways to store energy for longer), has attracted Sequoia Capital's first space-related investment since SpaceX.
-
Volta Space Technologies has recently emerged from stealth to unveil their LightGrid system that beams power from a network of satellites to rovers, landers, and eventual permanent structures on the moon. They have tested laser power beaming over 850 m in their labs, a key advancement in space-to-space applications.
- Virtus Solis has proceeded to the next round of selection for Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) funding. They have also submitted two NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts Step B proposals and promoted SBSP at NYC Climate Week.
| |
Photo Credit: Scientific American | |
|
This year has had an unpredictable and devastating hurricane season starting from a quiet period to record-shattering hurricanes forming in a little a over a week. Scientists identify climate change as the underlying cause of such unforeseeable conditions, meaning the issue will increase in magnitude in the years to come. As many cities suffered from power outages, including over 3 million Florida homes and businesses right at the onset of Hurricane Milton, SBSP is a promising solution that provides direct to location and reliable power in times of natural disasters so that affected communities have electricity when they need it the most.
| | | |
|
|
The article details how tech giants have growing energy demands to power their intensive data centers for AI capabilities, so they are turning to nuclear power as a source of abundant, renewable energy. While nuclear power disasters including Chernobyl, Three-Mile Island, and Fukushima are causes of concern, the developments in nuclear energy have prompted this massive shift, with CEOs of these tech companies, such as Bill Gates and Sam Altman, have their own nuclear power companies to meet their own companies' power demands. Some argue that nuclear power is meant to be temporary, until solar and wind energy can scale up, but growing energy demand cannot be met by one or two sources alone. SBSP needs to be seriously considered as part of the portfolio of clean energy options to create an energy resilient future.
| | |
SBSP Coverage in the News | |
Critical Views
-
IEEE Spectrum published another report that is critical of SBSP, that the massive investment of resources is better spent on improving terrestrial renewable energy solutions, citing Space Solar's estimate of 68 Starship launches to launch all the assets needed for SBSP into orbit.
| |
|
Outsiders' Perspectives
-
Ars Technica editor Eric Berger reports on Aetherflux expresses optimism about the potential of SBSP and how Aetherflux, a low-cost proof-of-concept, will provide a conclusive answer as to whether SBSP is in fact feasible. Interesting Engineering author Chris Young also notes that a successful Aetherflux test, though smaller scale, will help draw in more investors.
-
A recent WIRED article discusses recent milestones in power beaming, specifically detailing the EMROD's goal to create a "Worldwide Energy Matrix" using satellites to transmit power across the world. Although there are still some hurdles, they cite EMROD's progress as a reason for hope that power beaming from space will become a viable solution.
| | | | |
