Citizens for Space Based Solar Power

Category: general information

  • Live Event: Space Based Solar Power

    Live Event: Space Based Solar Power

    On August 14, 2025, I joined a SpaceNews live webinar on space-based solar power (SBSP). This panel discussion brought together some of the most experienced voices in the SBSP field.

    Over the course of an hour, the panel made a compelling case that SBSP, once the stuff of science fiction, is now within reach, thanks to dramatic drops in launch costs, advances in mass production, and maturing in-space assembly capabilities. They explored different technical pathways, financing and regulatory hurdles, and the enormous humanitarian and economic potential of delivering clean, 24/7 energy from space to anywhere on Earth.

    I believe the moment for space-based solar power has truly arrived. With bold action from all of us, we can help light the way to a cleaner, more resilient planet. – Rob Mahan

    You can watch the entire event here. I have summarized the panelist’s main points below.

    Event Summary

    SpaceNews hosted a live webinar on August 14, 2025, moderated by Jason Rainbow, featuring four prominent voices in the space-based solar power (SBSP) field:

    • John Mankins – Mankins Space Technology, SPS-Alpha inventor
    • Martin Soltau – Space Solar (UK)
    • Colby Carrier – Aetherflux
    • Karen Jones – The Aerospace Corporation

    The discussion highlighted why SBSP is closer to reality than ever: dramatic launch cost reductions, advances in mass production, and maturing in-space assembly. The panelists explored competing architectures (microwave vs. laser), early market opportunities, financing challenges, safety/regulatory issues, and the transformative global potential of 24/7 clean power from space.

    Main Points by Panelist

    John Mankins

    • Why Now: Reusable rockets have dropped launch costs from ~$20,000/kg to potentially under $100/kg; mass production of space hardware is now <$1,000/kg.
    • SPS-Alpha Concept: Hyper-modular geostationary platform made of over 1 million small modules; uses proven solar, reflector, and microwave transmission technology. No new physics is required.
    • Regulatory Notes: Microwaves need spectrum allocation via ITU; lasers pose eye safety and siting concerns.
    • Humanitarian Potential: One satellite can beam power to wealthy regions, and within seconds, be switched to beaming power to developing regions, providing disaster relief and energy equity.

    Martin Soltau

    • Economics & Orbits: High-orbit systems offer highest utilization for grid-scale power but require billions in early investment; financing roadmap is as critical as technology.
    • Global Need: Energy demand may quadruple in 25 years; weather-dependent renewables face mineral, cost, and land limitations. SBSP offers low carbon footprint, high scalability, and affordability.
    • Early Markets: Polar research stations, remote islands, data centers, off-grid industry, and underserved communities.
    • Public Support: Strong once safety and siting are explained; SBSP is seen as vital to reliable, abundant, clean energy.

    Colby Carrier

    • Aetherflux Strategy: Low Earth Orbit (LEO) laser-based constellation targeting military needs for dispersed, resilient, mobile power.
    • Laser Advantages: Small, precise beams for portable receivers; harder for adversaries to target; suits rapidly redeployed ground forces.
    • Iteration Speed: Lower launch costs enable quick technology refinement.
    • Safety Measures: Laser safety officer on Aetherflux staff; beam cutoff systems; early regulator engagement.

    Karen Jones

    • Market Landscape:
      • Solution Providers – Focused on space-to-Earth SBSP (e.g., Aetherflux).
      • Incrementalists – Start with space-to-space power beaming to build capability.
      • Skeptics/Competitors – Advocate other energy tech but may become SBSP partners.
    • Safety & Public Trust: Microwaves at proposed wavelengths are non-ionizing; but public concerns must be addressed head-on, as the cellular phone industry did.
    • Spectrum Constraint: Allocation will shape future architectures.

    Additional Insights

    • Financing is the bottleneck, not the physics. Starship could cut deployment launches from hundreds to a dozen, slashing energy costs by >10x.
    • Resilience: Hyper-modular designs can survive damage; constellations of modules can scatter like schools of fish, complicating attacks.
    • Dual Use Concerns: RF systems are inherently difficult to weaponize due to low energy density designs; all platforms will be highly visible and open to international inspection.
    • Public Action: Panelists encouraged citizens to press investors, pension funds, and elected officials to support SBSP initiatives.

    Space-based solar power is no longer an abstract concept tucked away in research papers—it’s a tangible solution within our grasp. The technology is ready, the need is urgent, and the benefits are global. What we lack is the unified will to make it happen. If each of us, citizens, innovators, investors, and policymakers, speaks up, demands progress, and supports the pioneers in this field, we can accelerate the shift from vision to reality. The sunlight is already waiting above us, streaming down in abundance. It’s time we reached up, captured it, and shared its power with the world.

  • STP180 – Can Space Based Solar Power Save the Planet

    STP180 – Can Space Based Solar Power Save the Planet

    This recent Space and Things podcast featuring John Mankins is an excellent all-around introduction to space based solar power (SBSP) and its game changing, clean energy potential.

    For those who may not be familiar, John C. Mankins is a former NASA physicist known for his ongoing work on space-based solar power. Along with explaining the fundamental of SBSP in easy-to-understand language, Mankins made a point I would like to highlight.

    • Unlike nuclear power plants, SBSP will be a switchable baseload power source. SBSP will be able to take the place of natural gas and other fossil fuel fired generation now being used to supplement terrestrial solar and wind power when nighttime or weather interrupt their outputs. The combination of space-based and terrestrial solar power will be a 100% clean, baseload power source.

    Mankins also had some astute observations about the most recent NASA report on SBSP, published on January 11, 2024 from the Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy.

    • Energy for Earth is not one of NASA’s four current missions
    • The report has a very reasonable charter at the beginning.
    • The analyses contained in the report utilize excellent, rigorous methodologies.
    • The report has some extraordinarily reasonable findings and recommendations at the end.
    • But … the assumptions that went into that model were weird. The assumptions were unreasonably pessimistic, leading to astronomically high predictions of the cost per kWh from SBSP.
    • There is a one-line caveat included in the report that says if all of our assumptions turn out better than we have assumed, the cost of a kWh from SBSP will be about three cents.

    Needless to say, you should read the report for yourself (linked above) and come to your own conclusions about its assumptions, charter, analyses, findings, and recommendations. Keep in mind the fact that energy for Earth is not one of NASA’s four current missions.

  • Gemini Deep Research: Current State of Space-Based Solar Power

    Gemini Deep Research: Current State of Space-Based Solar Power

    I entered the following query into the Gemini Deep Research AI:

    What is the current state of space-based solar power development and what entities are currently conducting research on space-based solar power development? Compile a list of the top ten entities which are likely to accomplish the development and deployment of space-based solar power on a commercial scale?

    Gemini rewrote my query as:

    Provide an overview of the current progress in space-based solar power (SBSP) development, identify organizations currently researching SBSP, and list the top ten entities most likely to achieve commercial-scale SBSP deployment.

    Following is the report that Gemini Deep Research developed in about ten minutes after researching and analyzing data from hundreds of websites. I’ve included the Executive Summary and Conclusion and Future Outlook for SBSP in full, with headings for the remaining sections of the report.

    View or download a PDF of the full 20-page report.

    Space-Based Solar Power: Progress, Key Players, and the Path to Commercialization

    I. Executive Summary

    Space-based solar power (SBSP), the concept of harvesting solar energy in space and wirelessly transmitting it to Earth, is experiencing a significant resurgence of interest driven by advancements in space technology and the pressing need for clean, reliable energy. Recent milestones, such as Caltech’s successful wireless power transmission from space and Space Solar’s demonstration of 360° power beaming, highlight the tangible progress being made. A diverse range of organizations, spanning government agencies like NASA, ESA, JAXA, and AFRL, academic institutions such as Caltech and Kyoto University, and private companies ranging from established aerospace giants like Northrop Grumman and Airbus to innovative startups like Space Solar and Aetherflux, are actively engaged in research and development efforts. While significant challenges remain, particularly in terms of cost-effectiveness and large-scale deployment, the potential of SBSP to provide continuous, baseload power is attracting increasing attention and investment. This report provides an overview of the current state of SBSP development, identifies the key organizations involved, and analyzes the top ten entities most likely to achieve commercial-scale deployment in this transformative field.

    II. Introduction: The Promise of Space-Based Solar Power

    III. Current Landscape of SBSP Development

    IV. Leading Organizations in SBSP Research and Development

    V. Key Private Sector Players in the SBSP Arena

    VI. Technological Advancements and Key Challenges in SBSP

    VII. Evaluating the Potential for Commercial-Scale Deployment

    VIII. Top Ten Entities Most Likely to Achieve Commercial-Scale SBSP Deployment

    IX. Conclusion and Future Outlook for SBSP

    Space-based solar power stands at an exciting juncture. The convergence of technological advancements, particularly in space launch and wireless power transmission, coupled with the ever-increasing global demand for clean energy, has propelled SBSP from a futuristic concept towards a tangible possibility. Recent demonstrations and the growing number of active players across government, academia, and the private sector underscore the significant momentum in this field.

    While considerable challenges remain, particularly in achieving cost-effectiveness and deploying large-scale systems in space, the long-term potential of SBSP to provide continuous, baseload power is undeniable. The projected growth of the SBSP market indicates increasing investment and a shift towards more development-focused initiatives. The next decade will likely see significant progress in technology maturation and further in-space demonstrations, paving the way for pilot projects and, eventually, commercial-scale deployments.

    The entities identified in this report, with their diverse strengths and approaches, are at the forefront of this endeavor. Their continued progress, coupled with sustained government support and further technological breakthroughs, will be crucial in realizing the promise of space-based solar power and its potential to revolutionize the global energy landscape. As the world continues to strive for a sustainable energy future, SBSP is poised to play an increasingly important role, offering a clean, reliable, and virtually limitless source of power from the ultimate energy provider – the Sun.

    View or download a PDF of the full 20-page report.

  • The New York Times on Space Solar Power

    The New York Times on Space Solar Power

    Looking to Space in the Race to Decarbonize

    Space-based solar power, once a topic for science fiction, is gaining interest.

    When The New York Times (NYT), a major US newspaper known to achieve 70 million unique monthly visitors, runs a positive article about the potential of space-based solar power (SBSP), that’s an indication that this clean energy game-changing technology is finally becoming part of the broader conversation.

    Run as part of NYT’s Climate Forward event in its special section on climate change solutions, the article doesn’t break any news but does highlight the fact that advances in space launch technology by private companies have made the business case for SBSP much more viable in recent years.

    I believe you will need to be a NYT subscriber to read the full article linked below:

    Looking to Space in the Race to Decarbonize
    by Nell Gallogly

  • The Economist on Space Solar Power

    A recent article in The Economist, 23 items of vital vocabulary you’ll need to know in 2023, was a fascinating list of new and not-so-new science and technology-related words / concepts that are starting to bubble up into everyday news stories and conversations. (If you have a free or paid account on The Economist website, or want to sign up for one, you can read or listen to the article linked above.)

    The European Space Agency’s SOLARIS Space-based Solar Power Preparatory Programme, as mentioned in the referenced article

    In good company with other vital new vocabulary such as passkeys and post-quantum cryptography, I am happy to note that Space Solar Power has been included near the bottom of the list. It’s exciting to see The Economist authors of this article state that the field of space solar power “… is experiencing a new dawn.”

    Space solar power
    The idea of capturing energy in space using huge solar arrays attached to orbiting satellites, and then beaming it down to Earth as microwaves, has been around since Isaac Asimov proposed it in a science-fiction story in 1941. But the sums have never added up: launching things into space simply costs too much. That could change if launch costs fall far enough, or if new space-based manufacturing techniques emerge, such as mining asteroids for raw materials. And in a high enough orbit, a solar-power satellite could stay in sunlight around the clock, providing a clean, reliable source of power. The European Space Agency sponsored a ground-based demonstration in Germany in 2022 as part of a proposed scheme called Solaris. America, Britain, China and Japan are also funding research in the field, which is experiencing a new dawn.

    By Martin Adams, Aryn Braun, Joel Budd, Tom Standage and Vijay Vaitheeswaran

  • Energy from Outer Space: A SSP Course on Udemy.com

    This is the first of several course preview videos available at
    https://www.udemy.com/course/space-solar-power/

    The course author, John Clarkson, contacted me through C-SBSP to make me aware of this online course about space-based solar power. I have purchased the course and completed the 1-1/2 hours of included lectures on a broad range of SBSP-related topics. Many other learning resources are also included.

    I have concluded that this course would be worthwhile to anyone seeking a solid introduction into the following topics from the course outline:

    • Space Based Solar Power (SBSP)
    • How SBSP works
    • What are its major advantages and drawbacks of SBSP?
    • Which nations are developing SBSP and why?
    • An idea of what it costs to get SBSP into orbit
    • Rockets, how they work, with some mathematics
    • Orbital mechanics and how this is relevant to SSP
    • Wider future market opportunities for SBSP, including direct and indirect markets both new and to be developed
    • Why SBSP will be an investment in the future
    • SBSP weapons – Are they feasible? Can we make them safe?
    • A wider knowledge of the economics of energy and how SBSP can change it

    Energy from Outer Space on Udemy.com

    Read more about the course author, John Clarkson, along with this and other related courses at his website, Future of Energy College.

  • SBSP: For Future Generations

  • Dr. M.V. “Coyote” Smith, Col, USAF-RET

    https://open.spotify.com/episode/5XtN22zgdP8SwqrEWAFcpC?si=CozHa8bRTQqAS17h97qF1A&dl_branch=1
    Click to listen to this one-hour interview with Dr. Smith on the Space Business Podcast on Spotify

    Leader in the space based solar power (SBSP) effort and my inspiration as a citizen-advocate, Dr. Smith’s unfaltering enthusiasm for SBSP in this recent podcast interview continues to be inspiring as well as informative.

    In 2007, As Chief, Future Concepts “Dreamworks” out of the National Security Space Office, Col. Smith was one of the team leaders that organized and lead a unique, voluntary group of 170 academic, scientific, technical, legal, and business experts from around the world to compile and publish the architecture study, Space‐Based Solar Power As an Opportunity for Strategic Security. It was this study that rekindled my fascination with SBSP and led me to become a self-appointed advocate of this game-changing technology.

    In March 2007, the National Security Space Office’s Advanced Concepts Office presented the idea of space‐based solar power (SBSP) as a potential grand opportunity to address not only energy security, but environmental, economic, intellectual, and space security as well.

    Space‐Based Solar Power
    As an Opportunity for Strategic Security
    Phase 0 Architecture Feasibility Study
    Report to the Director, National Security Space Office
    Interim Assessment
    Release 0.1
    10 October 2007
    https://c-sbsp.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/sbspinterimassesment0.1.pdf

  • China: The Long March 9 and Long Term Planning

    President Kennedy Addresses Congress May 25, 1961
    (Photo from NASA Commons on Flickr)

    China plans to use a new super heavy-lift rocket currently under development to construct a massive space-based solar power station in geostationary orbit.

    by Andrew Jones in June 28, 2021 Space News

    The American four-year political cycle dissipates tremendous amounts of energy and opportunity like so much waste heat. Right, wrong or indifferent, when the first acts of every new administration are to undo the efforts of the previous administration in some made-for-television show of power and bravado, truly important projects like space-based solar power (SBSP), which require long-term planning and commitment, may literally never get off the ground for the citizens of the United States.

    Without the authority to enter into international treaties, the private sector probably can’t implement SBSP on its own. Without the incentive to plan and execute outside of the four-year political cycle, the government probably can’t implement SBSP on it’s own.

    Does logic suggest that a public-private partnership will be required to develop and implement SBSP for Americans? Do we have to rely on Congress to create that partnership? Spurring Congress to that meaningful action might fall on the shoulders of all Citizens for Space Based Solar Power.

    Read the full Space News article:
    China’s super heavy rocket to construct space-based solar power station

  • NSS: “Dear Earth”

    Dear Earth: We’re Sorry for What We’ve Done to You…

    The National Space Society announced today its “Dear Earth” campaign for space solar power has been named in the Best of Social Media category in the 42nd Annual Telly Awards.

    https://space.nss.org/

    It has long been C-SBSP’s assertion that Earth-found fuels–carbon-based, uranium, thorium, etc.–are all finite natural resources that will one day be more costly to extract than the value of the energy they will yield. On a planetary time scale, or even the time scale of humankind, when that day comes is practically irrelevant. If we are not prepared when that day does inevitably arrive, civilization as we know it, and perhaps even the existence of humankind, will no longer be sustainable.

    To once again restate the obvious, the Sun is our virtually unlimited source of abundant, clean energy. The only question that remains is how best to harvest energy from the Sun to provide sustainable baseload power on a planetary scale. In C-SBSP’s opinion, the answer is space-based solar power (SBSP), with the following conditions:

    • SBSP development and deployment must be done with the agreement, cooperation and participation of all space-faring nations, for the common good of all humankind.
    • Given the potential century-level project timeline, conventional political cycles and economic models must be superseded.
    • SBSP must utilize off-planet manufacturing, construction and maintenance.
    • SBSP must harvest and utilize off-planet materials and resources.