China’s Ambitious Plan to Harvest Solar Energy from Space

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Imagine capturing sunlight from space and using it to power things on Earth. Sounds like science fiction, right? But China’s got a plan to make this Sci-Fi dream come true! They want to build solar power stations in space. These space stations would collect sunlight and beam it back to Earth as clean energy.

Why go to space for sunshine? Well, in space, the sun shines all the time—no clouds, no nighttime, just constant and powerful sunlight. This makes space a perfect spot to gather solar energy, way more efficiently than on Earth.

China’s idea involves sending solar panels into orbit. These panels would capture sunlight and convert it into energy. The energy is then sent down to Earth as microwaves. Don’t worry! These microwaves are not the same as the ones in your kitchen and wouldn’t cook anything on the ground. Receivers on Earth would then convert these microwaves back into electricity that we could use in our homes and schools.

But it’s not all smooth sailing. Putting solar panels into space is a complicated job. Scientists need to overcome challenges like how to build and launch these massive space structures and make sure the microwaves are safely transmitted. Yet, if successful, this could change the way we power the world, making us less reliant on fossil fuels and helping combat climate change.

This exciting project shows how technology and innovative thinking can lead to amazing solutions for our planet’s future.

Source: [Focus Earth](https://www.focus.de/earth/solarstrom-aus-dem-weltall-forscher-plaudert-irren-chinesen-plan-aus_7e3f892f-136d-4553-9820-c429487969c9.html)