By Kurtis Archer | 2025-03-05

Despite current challenges, space-based solar power (SBSP) systems have the potential to revolutionize Earth's energy needs, say observers.

SBSP systems involve harnessing solar energy in space and beaming it down to Earth for consumption.

The concept uses satellites with solar panels to capture sunlight and convert the energy into lasers or microwaves that are then transmitted to terrestrial power-receiving stations. The energy is then added to the power grid in the form of electricity.

The SBSP industry is expected to experience increased demand and growth through at least 2032, with investments projected to double before then.

The United States, Germany and China are currently leading the charge in research and development, but many nations interested in pursuing net-zero carbon emission goals are investing in their own SBSP research.

SBSP is expected to greatly reduce energy costs and revolutionize the planet's energy needs.

Unlike terrestrial solar power systems, SBSP can receive sunlight constantly and without any atmospheric or weather interference, and unlike solar arrays down on Earth, the systems deployed into space will not be taking up land that could be used for other purposes.

SBSP has a negligible environmental impact.

Currently, most global energy usage comes from fossil fuels, the world population is growing, and a 50% increase in energy consumption is predicted by 2050, according to GreenMatch, a renewable energy system company.

SBSP can generate 40 times more energy annually than terrestrial solar panels, with no greenhouse gas emissions and almost zero hazardous waste impact to the environment, GreenMatch estimates.

Overcoming challenges

The main challenges are expected to be the initial costs of getting the infrastructure for these systems up and running and overcoming satellite maintenance and energy transmission challenges.

SBSP orbital systems have the potential to help energy needs not only on Earth but could beam energy to lunar or Martian settlements someday.

These systems, though conceptual in nature, require no new advancements in technology or physics.

Current telecom satellites sending signals and communication links to Earth are power-beaming systems, though they operate on a much less advanced scale in terms of size and power.

The potential for SBSP has grown in recent years.

"When I talked about this stuff 10 years ago, this was really hard to imagine," John Mankins, a former NASA physicist and longtime SBSP advocate, said at the Space Logistics Conference last September in Arlington, Virginia.

SBSP systems are well within the range of being deployed with current space technology, he said.

For example, American renewable energy company Aetherflux plans to demonstrate its SBSP system with a small satellite in early 2026.

"The approach of power transmission that we're taking, which is infrared laser based, is something that you can actually make on an arbitrarily small spacecraft," Baiju Bhatt, founder and chief executive of Aetherflux, told SpaceNews in a report published last October.

If successful, the company will deploy a constellation of satellites to begin collecting solar energy for use in defense systems in areas where obtaining fuel for forward operating bases is challenging and costly.

Skeptics

However, not all opinions on SBSP are so positive.

NASA released a report in January, sharing a skeptical perspective of SBSP and suggesting these systems would be much more expensive than terrestrial energy solutions.

The NASA report was released on January 10 by the agency's Office of Technology, Policy and Strategy.

Many SBSP advocates have conducted their own analyses and are skeptical of the NASA findings.

While Mankins appreciated the general methodology, modeling and economic focus, he questioned the cost findings during an interview with SpaceNews.

"It seems to be driven entirely by a wide variety of assumptions that are, in combination, the worst possible of the worst possible cases from years ago," he said.

The report failed to anticipate advancements in space systems that have lowered and will continue lowering launching costs, like SpaceX's Starship and Blue Origin's New Glenn, he said.

The National Space Society released its own statement criticizing the report's failure to properly examine the costs and benefits of SBSP.

Nevertheless, the technology is moving forward.

Less than a week after NASA released its report, the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) announced it had completed a successful in-space test of SBSP technology.

Caltech President Thomas Rosenbaum spoke of the promising results.

"Solar power beamed from space at commercial rates, lighting the globe, is still a future prospect," he said. "But this critical mission demonstrated that it should be an achievable future."