PREVIEW

British startup Space Solar plans to supply Iceland with solar power from space by 2030. A demonstration satellite will beam 30 megawatts of clean energy to Earth, powering about 3,000 homes. The satellite will weigh 70.5 tons and orbit at medium Earth orbit, between 1,241 and 22,000 miles above Earth. By 2036, the partners aim to operate six space-based solar power stations, supplying gigawatts of 24/7 clean energy. Space Solar projects the costs at $800 million for the pilot plant, with electricity eventually costing $2.25 billion per gigawatt, competitive with nuclear power. Unlike traditional renewable sources, these space stations will provide uninterrupted power, unaffected by time or weather. The project will use SpaceX's Starship to launch each solar farm, leveraging its large payload capacity to reduce launch costs.Ground-based receiving antennas will convert beamed-down high-frequency radio waves into electricity for the grid. The project is a collaboration with Reykjavik Energy and Icelandic sustainability group Transition Labs.