Solar Panels to collect Energy IN SPACE
Yep, it seems like something from the book I, Robot but scientists are actually saying that it might be feasible to collect solar energy in space and beam it down to earth.
Picture this: a 6-mile-wide solar-power satellite orbiting 22,000 miles in space. Photo-sensitive panels on the satellite collect light from the sun and turn it into microwave radiation that an antenna beams down to a ground station, where it’s converted into enough electricity to power a large city.
Sound like science fiction? Last year, a government study group issued a report that said space-based solar power not only was technically feasible but also offered a potentially clean, renewable source of energy that could significantly reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.
Sounds pretty good, right? Well I still have my doubts. With a $1 trillion price tag, it seems a little steep. Plus, the thing about space is that if something breaks down, its really hard to maintenance it. Personally, I don’t think that we have exhausted our options here on earth so elaborate solar collection satellites in space seems a little extreme.
