Scientists working for the Pentagon have successfully tested a solar panel the size of a pizza box in space, designed as a prototype for a future system to send electricity from space back to any point on Earth.
A very interesting project and maybe the key to it is better collection and the conversion to microwave to better penetrate the atmosphere (where sunlight loses some of its effective energy).
Beyond that, scientists will have to test sending the energy back to Earth. The panels would know precisely where to send the microwaves — and not accidentally fire it at the wrong target — using a technique called "retro-directive beam control." Now seeing this is being funded by the US Pentagon… I was just wondering what happened if that energy goes to the "wrong target".
But that said, we have to also remember that many of our scientific advances and inventions have been borne out of military and space travel needs. In fact the Internet was borne out of one such project.
See more details at CNN exclusive: A solar panel in space is collecting energy that could one day be beamed to anywhere on Earth
#technology #energy #USA #space #renewableenergy
Scientists working for the Pentagon have successfully tested a solar panel the size of a pizza box in space, designed as a prototype for a future system to send electricity from space back to any point on Earth.