BY:SpaceEyeNews.
China is no longer thinking only about solar farms on deserts or rooftops. It is moving solar power into space. The China space solar power project aims to build a huge orbital station 36,000 km above Earth that can collect sunlight all day and send that energy back to the planet using microwaves. If it works, it could become one of the most important clean-energy systems ever built. Noticias Ambientales+1
This idea may sound futuristic, but it is not fiction anymore. Cheaper launches, stronger solar panels, and better wireless power transmission are turning a 1960s concept into a real engineering program. And China wants to be first. Several Chinese scientists even call it “a Three Gorges Dam in space,” to show how big the project really is. South China Morning Post+1
Why China Wants Solar Power in Space
Most countries already invest in solar and wind. The problem is not the source. The problem is intermittency. Solar stops at night. Clouds cut output. Grids need backup. The China space solar power project tries to remove all of that.
In geostationary orbit, a solar array sits above clouds, dust, and weather. It sees the Sun almost all the time. That means constant production. No night. No winter. No sandstorms. Chinese planners say power from space could be 10–14 kW per square meter — far higher than what panels produce on Earth.
This matters for three reasons:
- 24/7 clean energy – stable power without burning fuel.
- Energy security – power can go to remote or strategic regions.
- Tech leadership – whoever perfects space-based solar first sets the rules and supplies the hardware.
A January 2025 report even described it as the “Manhattan Project of energy,” not because it is military, but because of its scale, urgency, and national backing. sustainabilitymag.com+1
How the Orbital Plant Will Work
Here is the simple version of a complex system.
- Giant solar panels in orbit collect sunlight with no interruption.
- The system converts electricity to microwaves.
- A tight microwave beam is sent to rectenna stations on Earth.
- The rectennas turn microwaves back into electricity and feed it to the local grid. sustainabilitymag.com+1
Why microwaves? Because cables cannot run from orbit to Earth. Microwave transmission lets you send power wirelessly over long distances. Beam power density stays within safe limits, and the receiving station spreads the beam over a big area. Chinese tests with a small satellite called Xidian-1 already showed that beaming power down is possible.
To keep the beam accurate, the spacecraft uses AI-based tracking and precision pointing. Because the platform sits in geostationary orbit — 36,000 km above Earth — it stays above the same point, so the ground antenna does not need to chase it.
Phased Timeline Until 2050
China is not trying to launch the whole system at once. The plan is incremental. That makes it more realistic and more fundable.
- 2028: Launch of a 10 kW test station. This is to prove the basic technology, especially the beam. Noticias Ambientales+1
- 2030: Target power 1 MW from space. That is still experimental but already useful for remote areas or military-style bases. Noticias Ambientales
- 2035: Scale to 10 MW, which starts to look like a real commercial or city-support project. Noticias Ambientales
- 2050: Final target 2 GW in orbit — equal to two modern nuclear reactors or a large hydro plant, but with zero water, zero coal, and zero night. Noticias Ambientales
To get a one-kilometer structure into orbit, China will rely on heavy rockets such as Long March-9, now in development. These super heavy-lift boosters will carry modular parts that are assembled in space, likely by robots. This is why Chinese scientists say the program will also push robotics, AI, radiation-resistant materials, and in-orbit construction. South China Morning Post+1
Space Solar vs. Ground Solar
Ground solar is cheap. So why go to space? The answer is capacity factor.
- On Earth, solar panels may work at 15–25% of rated capacity over a year.
- In orbit, panels can work close to 100% of the time.
- Space sunlight is also stronger because there is no atmosphere.
So even if space hardware costs more, lifetime energy per square meter can be much higher. That is why Chinese media and engineers describe the China space solar power project as a way to “unlock” a new energy layer above Earth. CleanTechnica+1
There is another benefit: no land use. A one-kilometer array in orbit does not take up farmland, desert, or coastal space. On the ground, all you need is a receiving rectenna, which can be semi-transparent and even placed over fields in some designs.
Strategic and Economic Implications
This is not only about green power. It is also about positioning. China sees energy, space, and high tech as linked. A country that can beam power from orbit can also power lunar bases, dark polar stations, or disaster zones after storms. Some Chinese scientists have already suggested using the same technology to supply power to the future International Lunar Research Station in the 2030s.
Economically, such a project builds whole industries:
- launch and reusable rockets
- in-orbit assembly and service
- high-efficiency solar cells
- wireless power transmission
- AI monitoring of large constellations
This industrial chain is exactly what national planners in Beijing want to lock in. A 2025 SCMP article even warned that China must speed up so it does not fall behind the U.S. and U.K., which are also studying orbital solar power. South China Morning Post+1
Risks and Challenges
A human-written article should also mention what can go wrong.
- Cost: Launching and assembling a one-kilometer array will be expensive until rockets become cheaper.
- Efficiency: Every conversion step — sunlight to electricity, electricity to microwaves, microwaves to grid power — loses energy.
- Regulation: Beaming power from orbit needs global rules so beams do not interfere with aircraft or satellites.
- Security: A large power station in orbit becomes strategic infrastructure and must be protected. CleanTechnica
Chinese planners know this. That is why the 2028 mission is small. It is there to measure real efficiency, test beam safety, and study how the structure handles radiation and micrometeoroids.
Environmental and Global Impact
If the China space solar power project reaches the 2-GW target, it could supply power to around 1.5 million homes, based on average consumption. That’s from a single orbital plant. Noticias Ambientales
This helps:
- cut greenhouse gas emissions
- reduce coal dependence in Asia
- support remote regions without building long transmission lines
- stabilize grids during extreme weather
Because the power is clean and continuous, it also helps countries hit net-zero targets faster. For China, this technology fits its 2060 carbon-neutrality vision. For the world, it proves that renewables are not limited to Earth’s surface.
Conclusion: Energy Beyond Earth
The China space solar power project is not just another solar farm. It is a signal. It says: clean energy will not stay on the ground. It will expand into orbit, then to the Moon, and later to Mars. China wants to own the technology early, set the standards, and export the system — exactly as it did with high-speed rail and terrestrial solar. Popular Mechanics+1
If China delivers the 2028 test, then the 2030 megawatt step, confidence will rise. By 2035, the world may have its first truly space-generated electricity flowing to Earth. And by 2050, a 2-GW plant in orbit will prove that space can be a real layer of the global energy grid.
In short: space is no longer only for communication and navigation. With China’s space solar power project, space becomes a power station.
References:
https://noticiasambientales.com/innovation/china-launches-the-most-ambitious-energy-project-in-history-a-space-solar-plant-36000-km-from-earth/
https://en.clickpetroleoegas.com.br/China-launches-most-ambitious-space-solar-power-project-36-000-km-from-Earth-phsnwww-linkedin-com-comm-mynetwork-discovery-see-allusecasepeople_followsfollowmemberpaulo-hs-nogueira/