The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said it plans to have a fully functional, space-based solar energy farm instated by 2030.
The plan reportedly involves creating a collection of orbiting platforms that absorb solar energy and beam it down to Earth in the form of microwaves, according to The Latin Post. The collected energy would then be converted into electricity for commercial use.
Japan has been looking for alternative sources of renewable energy in response to the destruction of nuclear reactors caused by tsunamis and earthquakes, such as the March 2011 tsunami that caused a massive radioactive waste leak at Fukushima, ABC News reported.
Susumu Sasaki, a professor emeritus at JAXA, said the solar-energy farm is the best choice for an energy source because of the country's scarce availability of land and natural resources, such as coal.
The space agency is developing different models to power electricity all around the world, ABC News reported. One model includes a one-sided photovoltaic-topped satellite, which works less efficiently when the earth turns away from the sun. Another model includes two mirrors that reflect sunlight onto a two-sided photovoltaic-topped satellite. This model would offer a 24-hour supply of constant energy.
JAXA will focus on using wireless power transmission to transfer the energy, which Sasaki said can only be accomplished with the use of lasers or microwaves.
Sasaki said that the project would need a lot of labor and have great costs, but Japan would ultimately gain a huge long-term payoff, VentureBeat reported.
"Throughout human history, the introduction of each new energy source - beginning with firewood, and moving on through coal, oil, gas, and nuclear power - has caused a revolution in our way of living," Sasaki said. "If humanity truly embraces space-based solar power, a ring of satellites in orbit could provide nearly unlimited energy, ending the biggest conflicts over Earth's energy resources. As we place more of the machinery of daily life in space, we'll begin to create a prosperous and peaceful civilization beyond Earth's surface."
