# Beaming 24/7 solar… from space

- Show: [Catalyst](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst)
- Published: 2023-08-10
- Length: 47m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2023-08-10-beaming-24-7-solar-from-space

## Summary

Sanjay Vijendran, lead for the SOLARIS initiative on space-based solar power at the European Space Agency, explains the technical and economic viability of beaming 24/7 solar energy from geosynchronous orbit to Earth. He details the four main components—launch, solar collectors, phased array antennas, and ground receivers—and argues that reusable rockets like SpaceX's Starship and mass-produced satellite hardware have lowered costs enough to make the concept economically plausible within 10-15 years. Vijendran highlights ongoing pilot projects by Caltech, the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, and the Japanese Space Agency, while addressing safety concerns regarding radio frequency exposure and the critical need for increased R&D funding to bridge the gap between current demonstrations and commercial gigawatt-scale systems.

## Chapters

- [2:14](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2023-08-10-beaming-24-7-solar-from-space#t=134) Introduction: The Promise of Space-Based Solar
- [8:31](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2023-08-10-beaming-24-7-solar-from-space#t=511) History and Resurgence of the Technology
- [13:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2023-08-10-beaming-24-7-solar-from-space#t=788) Technical Components and Scale Challenges
- [17:47](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2023-08-10-beaming-24-7-solar-from-space#t=1067) Power Beaming Technology and Safety
- [30:59](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2023-08-10-beaming-24-7-solar-from-space#t=1859) Economics: Launch Costs and Hardware
- [37:19](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2023-08-10-beaming-24-7-solar-from-space#t=2239) Current Projects and Future Timeline

## Topics

- [Energy & climate tech](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/energy-and-climate-tech)
- [Wireless & RF](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/wireless-and-rf)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- European Space Agency (company)
- SOLARIS (other)
- SpaceX (company)
- Starship (product)
- Caltech (company)
- U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (company)
- Japanese Space Agency (company)
- Virtue Solace (company)
- Air Force Research Laboratory (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [97. Beaming Clean Energy From Space](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2022-11-22-97-beaming-clean-energy-from-space) (The Next Byte Podcast)
- [Out of This World: The Latest from Space](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2021-12-03-out-of-this-world-the-latest-from-space) (EE Times Current)
- [Space Age Bluetooth with Alex Haro](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2026-07-09-space-age-bluetooth-with-alex-haro) (The Amp Hour)
- [Computing in the Cosmos: Sophia Space's Mission to Move Data Centers Into Orbit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2025-07-24-computing-in-the-cosmos-sophia-spaces-mission-to-move-data-centers-into-orbit) (Over the Air)
- [25. Solar Sailing, Preventing Cyber Attacks, Space Trash Robot](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2021-07-06-25-solar-sailing-preventing-cyber-attacks-space-trash-robot) (The Next Byte Podcast)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2023-08-10-beaming-24-7-solar-from-space. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Catalyst.