Our Mission: To create the landscape and conditions for commercial Space Solar Power technology by the U.S. to become successful and self-sustaining.

SSP Bulletin

Space Frontier Foundation Updates

• The International Conference on Energy from Space 2025, sponsored by Space Energy Insights and the Space Frontier Foundation, is scheduled to be held on November 19-21 in France. Lieutenant General Steven L. Kwast will be a keynote speaker, discussing the strategic importance of space-based solar power for global energy resilience and security. This year's theme is "Energy for Security". Register for the conference here.
  

Notable News

• New research suggests that solar panels in space could provide up to 80% of Europe's renewable electricity by 2050. This method could reduce the need for land-based solar and wind farms, lower battery use, and decrease overall costs. However, challenges include high building and launch costs, technological hurdles, concerns about space debris, microwave safety, and political cooperation. The study sees space-based solar power as a key tool for Europe's climate goals.
• Aetherflux, posted an update about their Mission 1 Countdown Special Delivery on LinkedIn. 
• Solestial shared a LinkedIn post about their new space solar array technology for small satellites. They plan to produce a complete solar wing with 1 kilowatt of solar cells in four weeks. This project, funded by SpaceWERX, aims to reduce long manufacturing times.
• Ascent Solar Technologies and Star Catcher Industries have signed a memorandum of understand (MOU) to enhance orbital energy systems by combining flexible thin-film PV panels with a wireless power beaming grid. This partnership aims to increase satellite power by 5 to 10 times, ensuring energy supply during eclipses or outages, and includes joint demonstration missions.
• The South China Morning Post article highlights calls for China to speed up its development of space-based solar power technology to enhance its role in the new energy sector and the space race.
  

SSP Systems Enablers

• In a recent Linkedin post, Space Energy Insights poses the question of overcoming large equipment shipments to space. Launching heavy equipment into space is costly, but advancements are being made to lower these expenses. Reusable launch vehicles are decreasing launch costs, with SpaceX's Starship estimated to be $2-10 million per launch. Lightweight and efficient solar panels are improving cost-to-power ratios for space missions. 
• In a Linkedin post, Star Catcher discusses telecommunications and how they are crucial in today's world, but there are still challenges. Recent advances include global satellite-to-cell links, disaster-proof communications, and secure connections. The FCC is updating satellite spectrum limits, making power a key issue. Star Catcher aims to create the first energy grid in space for enhanced satellite power.
  
• According to the Monocle, Reflect Orbital, is working on satellites with large mirrored sails to reflect sunlight to Earth, even at night. The company, funded with $20 million from Sequoia Capital and Lux Capital, aims to illuminate areas in need by 2030. While there are concerns about light pollution, the system can be adjusted or turned off. The company has received over 160,000 service requests globally.
• Starcloud is developing space-based data centers powered by solar panels installed in orbit. By harnessing solar energy directly in space, Starcloud aims to operate data centers more efficiently while reducing the costs associated with terrestrial solar power generation. In partnership with technologies like Google’s Gemini AI, the company plans to launch dedicated satellites to meet the rapidly growing demand for computing power in the AI sector.
• According to Defense Daily, mPower Technology has raised over $24 million in its Series B funding round, with an investment from Lockheed Martin Ventures. The new funds will help mPower increase production and strengthen its role in the growing SBSP sector, supported by Lockheed Martin’s industry expertise.

Upcoming Events

• The International Conference on Energy from Space 2025, sponsored by Space Energy Insights and the Space Frontier Foundation, is scheduled to be held on November 19-21 in France. This year's theme is "Energy for Security". Check out more about the conference here.
• The Lunar and Mars Economy Summit is organized by Payload Space and will be held on October 14-15, 2025, at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. It aims to bring together space industry leaders to discuss the future of the lunar and Martian economies, covering topics like resource utilization, transportation, and collaboration efforts. Paul Damphousse is giving an exclusive look at how Volta is delivering energy with lasers for the lunar surface.

Promising Use Cases

Image Courtesy: Talen (via POWER Magazine)

Grid Reliability 

The United States Department of Energy has released a 5th statement revealing the sensitivity and fragility of PJM, the largest gird operator of Mid-Atlantic. This emergency issue has been ordered to allow an oil-fired power plant in Maryland to bypass environmental laws to avoid blackouts during peak demand. These temporary measures are expensive and dependent on fossil fuels due to rising energy demand from climate change. Futhermore, Europe has struggled to use renewable energy and leans toward fossil fuels and expensive storage. A recent study showed that SBSP could supply up to 80% of Europe’s renewable energy by 2050, reducing costs and storage needs. Despite challenges like high deployment costs, SBSP offers a path to a more reliable and clean energy future, potentially ending the need for emergency measures. SBSP could stabilize Europe’s grid, reduce dependence on imported energy, fuel innovation in space and renewable technologies, and solidify Europe’s leadership in building a sustainable, resilient energy future.

Image Courtesy: Curioso Photography (via Pexels)

Nuclear Wildlife Disruption

The nuclear power plants in France and United States have shut down four of its six reactors due to a jellyfish swarm clogging the cooling system, showing how natural events can disrupt energy production. These enviromental disruptions show how natural events can halt energy production and threaten our nuclear reliability. Space-based solar power (SBSP) offers a solution by capturing sunlight in orbit and providing a stable energy supply, unaffected by environmental factors. Additionally, SBSP’s ability to deliver consistent, round-the-clock power makes it an ideal complement to existing nuclear and renewable infrastructure, smoothing out fluctuations and ensuring a more balanced and dependable electricity supply across the grid. Integrating SBSP can enhance grid resilience and support a more reliable energy future

SSP Coverage in the News

Outsiders' Perspectives

• RE:TV, a British media platform, created a video titled,"Rethinking Renewable Technology "  that explains how space solar power can play a major role in rewewable technologies. They inform that space solar can generate 13 times more solar energy than ground solar energy.

Experts and Advocates on SSP

• SpaceNews held a virtual webinar on space-based solar power (SBSP), featuring experts who discussed its advancements and future. They noted major progress as SBSP shifts from theory to practical use, with reduced launch costs and improved production methods making space hardware more affordable. SBSP has the potential to address global energy needs alongside traditional renewable sources.
• In Episode 36 of the Energy Futures Podcast, host Edoardo Taricco talks with Martin Soltau, co-founder and co-CEO of Space Solar, about space-based solar energy. They discuss its potential as a clean energy source, advances in satellite technology, and financial challenges.
• The IEEE Journal on Wireless Power Technologies (JWPT) focuses on advancing wireless power technologies, especially hardware implementation. It promotes the latest research and collaboration among professionals. Sponsored by multiple IEEE societies, the journal covers topics like power transfer mechanisms, system design, and practical applications.
• In Episode 57 of the Space Strategy podcast, Dr. Sanjay Vijendran discusses the potential and challenges of space-based solar power. He talks about technical aspects like wireless power transmission and the deployment of solar arrays in space. The episode also covers advancements in technology and international collaborations to make SBSP a viable future energy source.
  
• Space Energy Insights notes that SBSP offers clean energy but faces safety, environmental, and regulatory challenges, including orbital debris, microwave effects, and frequency compliance. Advances like reusable rockets, efficient lightweight solar panels, recyclable satellites, and international standards are helping reduce costs and risks. Demonstration missions and global collaboration are slowly making SBSP a more feasible energy solution for the future.
  
• This paper by Slava G. Turyshev presents a detailed framework for laser power beaming from spacecraft in lunar orbit to the Moon's surface. This framework aims to provide consistent energy for lunar exploration and habitation. The study highlights the advantages of phased-array transmitters over single-aperture systems in improving power delivery. 
• The HDIAC report reviews progress in SBSP beaming, highlighting key military and energy-grid applications. Notable milestones include the U. S. Naval Research Laboratory's PRAM-FX experiment, which provided insight into efficiency and performance in orbit. Future plans involve the European Space Agency's SOLARIS program and China's large solar array. Challenges like efficiency and safety remain, but reduced launch costs have increased interest from various sectors. The report concludes that cost is no longer the primary barrier to SBSP's feasibility.
• In the June 2025 issue of the Joule Journal, authors from the California Institute of Technology present a distributed space solar power system made of flexible, lightweight modules that can be launched into geostationary orbit. These modules work together to deliver on-demand power via microwave beams.