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HeadlineENERGY

Space Solar Power Station Beams Energy to Ground for First Time: 2.1MW Output Achieved

CASC's Tianyang-1 space solar station successfully transmits power to ground receiving station with 54% microwave transmission efficiency and 2.1MW output, validating space-based solar power feasibility.

On January 6, 2028, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) announced that its "Tianyang-1" space solar power station has successfully transmitted power to a ground receiving station in Mianyang, Sichuan, after six months of orbital operation. The microwave transmission covered approximately 36,000 kilometers with 54% efficiency, delivering 2.1MW of power to the ground.

Tianyang-1 was launched into geostationary orbit in July 2027. The station is equipped with a 200-square-meter gallium arsenide solar cell array and a 15-meter diameter microwave transmission antenna. In space, solar energy utilization efficiency is approximately 5 to 10 times higher than on the ground due to the absence of atmospheric absorption and day-night cycles.

Chief designer Zhang Ming, a CASC researcher, stated that the 54% microwave transmission efficiency is a world record, surpassing JAXA's previous lab test record of 42%. "The key breakthrough was adaptive beam focusing technology, which can real-time adjust microwave beam direction and shape to compensate for atmospheric scattering effects."

The 2.1MW output is equivalent to the electricity demand of approximately 1,400 households. While small compared to ground-based large solar farms, its significance lies in validating the technical feasibility of "generate in space, consume on Earth."

Tianyang-1's total investment was approximately 3.5 billion yuan. CASC plans to launch Tianyang-2 before 2030 with a target output of 20MW. Longer-term plans call for gigawatt-class space solar stations by 2035 for commercial operation.

Japan's JAXA and Europe's ESA are also advancing their space solar programs. JAXA's SSPS plan targets a 1GW station before 2030; ESA's SOLARIS plan is in the technology validation phase.

Large-scale commercialization still faces launch cost and space debris challenges. At current launch costs, a gigawatt-class space solar station would cost over $100 billion to build.