China's Space Solar Station to Surpass Earth's Oil Energy

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China launches ambitious plans for a kilometer-wide solar power station in space, positioned 36,000 kilometers above Earth to capture round-the-clock sunlight.

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Chief rocket designer Long Lehao compares the space station's power potential to moving the Three Gorges Dam into geostationary orbit.

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Space-based solar panels promise 10x higher efficiency than ground installations by avoiding cloud cover and darkness limitations.

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The orbital power station converts sunlight into energy, transforms it to microwaves, and beams it to Earth-based receiving stations

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Construction preparations started in Chongqing in 2019, with China's Long March-9 rocket slated to transport components into space.

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The space station aims to match Three Gorges Dam's annual output of 100 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity.

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American giants Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman develop competing space solar technology while Japan plans prototype testing.

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The European Space Agency joins the space-based solar power race, exploring its own version of orbital energy collection.

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The station's microwaves operate at lower, safer power levels than household microwave ovens while transmitting energy to Earth.

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Space-based solar power could deliver constant clean energy without fossil fuels or traditional renewable energy limitations.

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