https://www.independent.co.uk/space/space-solar-power-electricity-microwaves-b2480671.html
A landmark test of beaming solar power to Earth from a satellite has concluded successfully after a year-long mission.
The Space Solar Power Demonstrator (SSPD-1) project launched on 3 January last year with the goal of demonstrating the feasibility of one day harvesting the Sun’s energy and transmitting it wirelessly back to Earth on a commercial scale.
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Caltech said the success of the mission would “help chart the future of space solar power”, though warned that a lot more research needs to be done before it becomes a reality.
“Solar power beamed from space at commercial rates, lighting the globe, is still a future prospect,” said Caltech president and professor of physics Thomas Rosenbaum. “But this critical mission demonstrated that it should be an achievable future.”
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Last year, Japanese space agency JAXA announced that it planned to set up a commercial-scale solar farm in space by 2025, while the European Space Agency (ESA) is also aiming to set up a development project through its Solaris programme.