Âé¶¹´«Ã½

Technology

NASA to scrap space power experiments

7 January 2009

NASA appears to have cancelled its research into space-based solar power (SBSP) systems – orbiting solar arrays that beam microwaves to receivers on the ground, where the energy is converted to electricity.

Seen as one technology for combating climate change, faces major challenges – including the cost of launching hundreds of square kilometres of solar arrays to an altitude of 36,000 kilometres. Now a letter leaked to the NasaWatch.com blog says the space agency “does not have the resources available to support a proposed demo for SBSP”.

Advocates of the technology are still urging President-Elect Obama to adopt it by…

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox. We'll also keep you up to date with Âé¶¹´«Ã½ events and special offers.

Sign up

To continue reading, today with our introductory offers

or

Existing subscribers

Sign in to your account
Piano Exit Overlay Banner Mobile Piano Exit Overlay Banner Desktop