--- title: "The Air Force Is Trying to Beam Solar Power Down to Earth" description: "The U.S. Air Force is trying to find out if we could collect solar power in space and beam it down to Earth with the help of Northrop Grumman.." date: "2019-11-05" modified: "2019-11-05" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/air-froce-beam-solar-power-earth" categories: - "Energy" - "Renewable Energy" - "Science & Energy" - "Solar Power" tags: - "solar panels" - "solar power" - "space based solar power" - "the digest" --- # The Air Force Is Trying to Beam Solar Power Down to Earth ![The U.S. Air Force is trying to find out if we could collect solar power in space and beam it down to Earth with the help of Northrop Grumman..]() *\Image: NASA\* ## Space Solar The U.S. Air Force is trying to find out if we could one day collect solar power in space and beam it down to Earth, military newspaper [*Stars and Stripes* reports](). The Space Solar Power Incremental Demonstration and Research project is a over $100 million partnership between the Air Force and defense contractor Northrop Grumman. The idea is to cut down on the need to deliver armed convoys full of fuel to power remote military outposts — and maybe provide power for civilians in remote areas. "To ensure \[Department of Defense\] mission success, we must have the energy we need at the right place at the right time," Eric Felt, director of the Air Force Research Laboratory in Albuquerque’s Space Vehicles Directorate, told *Stars and Stripes*. "Energy is a strategic enabler and potential vulnerability for our nation and our Department of Defense." ## Beam Me Down A constellation of satellite-mounted solar panels, roughly the area of two football fields, would collect solar energy, convert it to radio frequency, and beam it down to Earth. Easier said than done. It's an ambitious plan that has yet to be demonstrated in the real world. "We’re developing different demonstrations that would develop the technology needed for that large-scale prototype," systems engineer Rachel Delaney told *Stars and Stripes*. According to Delaney, space solar power has some critical advantages: up to eight times the power compared to ground systems and "regardless of latitude, and regardless of the time of day as well." **READ MORE:** [The Air Force Wants To Beam Solar Power From Space Back to Earth]() \[*Popular Mechanics*\] **More on space solar power:** *[China Is Building a Solar Power Station in Space]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()