Inspired by the Japanese design theory of origami, Caltech researchers are preparing to launch a small prototype satellite into orbit in December. The roughly 3.9-inch-wide prototype can harness solar energy and then transmit it wirelessly to Earth. If successful, the nearly decade-long, multibillion-dollar project, funded in part by aerospace and defense manufacturer Northrop Grumman, could help steer the renewable energy sector in a radical new direction, hypothetically providing clean energy for regions. You can't get reliable power. . Infrastructure.
According to recent interviews with two project leaders at Caltech, the satellite combines three key areas of success.
- The development of ultra-lightweight and highly efficient photovoltaic cells "with a power-to-weight ratio 50 to 100 times greater than solar cells currently used on the ISS and modern satellites."
- Creating an equally simple and inexpensive technology to convert DC energy into RF and then transmit that energy back to Earth as safe microwave radiation.
- An advanced slim, complex and lightweight design that not only supports all these components, but can also control the RF outputs when needed.
[carefully. This fabric is used as 1200 solar panels.]
To achieve these amazing results, the Caltech scientists turned to one of the oldest art forms for a step-by-step guide. "Using a new folding technique inspired by origami, we can significantly reduce the size of a giant spacecraft," said Sergio Pellegrino, project co-author and professor of aerospace and civil engineering. The last interview. "The packaging is very tight, there are practically no voids."
The ultimate goal is to launch hundreds of thousands of solar panels into orbit, each measuring 4 by 4 square inches and weighing less than a tenth of an ounce. From the planet, each of these panels spreads out to form a constellation of satellites covering a solar collection of about 3.5 square miles.
[carefully. Solar cells are sent into space.]
Despite many logistical and financial hurdles, interest in using renewable solar energy in satellite systems is growing, mainly for the simple reason that solar panels outside the Earth's atmosphere could hypothetically receive sunlight 24/7, not to mention about energy. In space, the potential is about eight times better per square meter, according to a new Atlas article . However, its overall complexity and limited cost may make something like the Caltech project unlikely for widespread deployment. According to New Atlas , the cost of solar energy in space could be between $1 and $2 per kilowatt, less than $0.17 for electricity in the United States. A similar option is to use solar panels here on Earth and then apparently direct their energy to satellites for global broadcasting. Either way, Caltech's many advances in lightweight and flexible panel systems represent important advances in innovative renewable energy solutions to our climate crisis.
