Wireless power transmission

Japanese scientists have successfully transmitted electrical energy to a target using microwaves for the first time.

This successful experiment could pave the way for harnessing solar energy and transmitting it to Earth in the future. Illustration photo: Reuters

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) used microwaves and transmitted 1.8 kilowatts of power through the air to a target 55 meters away.

"This is the first time humans have been able to transmit nearly two kilowatts of power via microwaves to a small target using a directional control device," AFP quoted a JAXA spokesman as saying yesterday.

Although the energy is only enough to boil a kettle of water and the distance is not great, this success is considered a leap forward in the development of new energy sources. Scientists say the experiment could pave the way for the exploitation of the infinite source of solar energy in space and transmitting it back to Earth.

According to RT, the International Space Station (ISS) and other satellites can collect solar energy and use it to maintain operations. The advantage of this source is the ability to provide a constant supply in all weather conditions or times of day.

For many years, JAXA has been working on the SSPS project, which aims to build a solar power plant in geostationary orbit. The SSPS would transmit microwaves from an altitude of 36,000 kilometers to a flat surface three kilometers in diameter.

However, experts say they need to address a number of technological challenges before the SSPS can be completed. According to lead researcher Yasuyuki Fukumuro, the project could be completed around 2040.

According to VnExpress