Headquartered in Troy, Michigan, Virtus Solis was founded by John Bucknell and Dr. Edward Tate. Together, the founders have deep experience in heavy launch and propulsion technologies, as well as the analysis and development of energy systems.
The Virtus Solis website makes a bold claim about the space-based solar power (SBSP) technology they have developed:
Virtus Solis is the world’s first space-based solar power energy generation system able to directly compete with conventional and renewable energy sources with none of the drawbacks.
As outlined in the video above, some notable features of the Virtus Solis SBSP technology include:
- Use of commercial, reusable heavy launch provider
- Massive and highly scalable arrays of satellite solar collectors
- Use of the highly elliptical Molniya orbit between low-earth and geosynchronous orbital altitudes (MEO)
- 10 GHz microwave energy transmission frequency
- A projected Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) competitive with all other current forms of energy generation
Found in the National Space Society’s (NSS) Space Solar Power Library, the Survey of Space Based Solar Power, Virtus Solis, 2024, written by John Bucknell, includes detailed descriptions of several proposed SBSP architectures including the Virtus Solis’ Lucidus Hyper-Modular Architecture (2023). This SBSP survey reaches the following conclusion:
As shown, most SBSP systems described herein could provide energy at a competitive price in today’s market and future markets. The Virtus Solis architecture excels, with an LCOE of $25/MWh.
Citizens for Space Based Solar Power 
Leave a comment