Space Solar Power Will Inevitably Trump Trump’s War On Solar Power

February 20, 20266 hours ago Tina Casey 0 Comments

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Between the Epstein scandal, the Epstein scandal, and falling asleep at public events, the once-mighty US President Donald Trump has lost the thin veneer of manly powerfulness that propelled him into office for a second time. His fossil-friendly energy policy isn’t aging well, either. Solar continues to dominate new capacity additions in the US, and now the futuristic space solar field is gearing up to pull the rug right out from under the president’s phony “reliability” standard.

Reliable, 24/7 Base Load Solar Power, From Space

Trump’s energy policy teeters on the unsteady idea that a “reliable” resource is one that delivers a minimum, or base load, of electricity at a steady rate, regardless of the weather, season, or time of day. Fossil fuels meet this standard, of course, while wind and solar are left out in the cold.

Dumb as it is, the new policy does satisfy Trump’s longstanding thirst for revenge against wind turbines. It also satisfies his supporters in the fossil energy industry, at least partly. However, Trump left a ticking time bomb for them to deal with in future years. The new policy embraces all “reliable” power generation resources, including biomass, geothermal, hydropower, and marine energy along with nuclear energy. As these industries grow, they will help push fossil fuels out of the nation’s power generation profile.

And now, here comes space solar to upend the whole works. Space solar, also called SBSP (short for spaced-based solar power), refers to systems that harvest solar energy in space and beam it wirelessly down to receivers on Earth in a steady, 24/7 stream, regardless of terrestrial conditions. That easily meets the reliability standard set by Trump himself.

A Stepping-Stone For Space Based Solar Power

If that sounds futuristic, it was. The US chemist, teacher, and prolific writer Isaac Asimov initially proposed beaming solar power from Space to Earth back in 1941, long before the technology pieces began coming together. US researchers got a head start on turning fiction into reality in 2011, when a donation of $100 million kickstarted a space solar research program at CalTech (see lots more space-based solar background here).

In the 15 years since then, a sharp drop in the cost of rocket launches has contributed to the effort, alongside new lightweight solar cells and other technology improvements. That has set the stage for private sector investors to jump into the pool. Among other examples, last year the US startup Overview Energy scored $20 million from a group of investors including Engine Ventures, Lowercarbon Capital, Prime Movers Lab, EQT Foundation, Earthrise Ventures, and Aurelia Institute (here’s another example).

A new study commissioned by the UK government has added more fuel to the fire. Building on previous investigations, the UK research team advocates for de-risking the field for investors by focusing resources on small-scale systems. While taking note of ongoing technology challenges, the report concludes that small-scale systems could be an “economically competitive source of power” for Great Britain by 2040, while also providing a technology stepping-stone to deploy larger systems in the following years.

Another US Startup Eyeballs Space-Based Solar Power

The California startup Helio Corporation has also chipped in its two cents. In a press statement posted on February 19, Helio noted that Japan’s OHISAMA demonstration satellite will launch later this year to harvest solar energy, convert it to microwaves, and transmit it wirelessly to Earth.

“The rapid prototype timeline and national coordination reflect growing institutional confidence that SBSP is a practical, deployable energy solution rather than a distant concept,” Helio emphasized.

“Advancing technology and increasing capital investment are bringing SBSP closer to practical deployment, positioning it as a stabilizing force for grids facing rising demand from artificial intelligence, electrification, and industrial growth,” the company added for good measure, while taking note of space solar’s ability to offer “reliable baseload generation.”

Space-Based Solar Power Is Ready For Prime Time

In addition to baseload power capability, advocates also point out that space solar avoids the land use conflicts that can stymie solar development on Earth. Space-based systems require an array of terrestrial receivers, but Helio takes note of a UK study indicating that the rectennas could be attached to offshore wind turbines, saving space on land while also sharing an onshore grid link with the offshore infrastructure.

Helio also describes the potential for applying agrivoltaic principles to the placement of rectennas on land. Agrivoltaic arrays are engineered to optimize the revenue from solar arrays while enabling farm activities to take place on the same land. Helio also estimates that land-based receivers would only occupy 10% of the land required for a conventional solar array.

“SBSP is increasingly viewed as an economically grounded infrastructure opportunity supported by rapid prototyping, land efficient deployment models, and clear pathways to grid integration,” Helio emphasizes. “This convergence of technical validation, economic efficiency, and international adoption signals an emerging infrastructure category with long-term growth potential.”

More Solar Power For The USA

Helio Corporation (not to be confused with similarly named companies) is new to the CleanTechnica radar, so now would be a good time to play catch-up. The company’s wholly owned subsidiary Heliospace has ongoing relationships with NASA, among other stakeholders, enabling it to claim an edge over startups in the field.

“We are proud to be a trusted partner to over a dozen space agencies, organizations, and companies across the globe,” Heliospace says of itself. “Our products can be found operating from the Sun to Jupiter.”

Speaking of NASA, back in April of 2024, the agency announced that space-to-Earth solar beaming was not among its budget priorities. However, there are some opportunities for technology transfer. Last summer, for example, a research team in the UK noted that two NASA systems, Heliostat Swarm and Planar Array, lay the foundation for space-to-Earth beaming.

NASA’s more immediate concern is deploying solar power to sustain operations in space, including the Moon and Mars. On February 13, for example, the agency announced the successful prototype test of its “Carbothermal Reduction Demonstration” project. The CaRD project deploys concentrated solar power to extract oxygen from the Moon’s soil. The operation produces carbon monoxide fuel as a byproduct.

“The same downstream systems used to convert carbon monoxide into oxygen can also be adapted to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen and methane on Mars,” NASA stated.

Image: If 24/7 “reliability” is the standard for power plants, US President Donald Trump will have to make room for space solar power in his fossil-friendly energy policy (cropped, courtesy of CalTech).

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