China is about to launch into space a 1-kilometer-wide solar power plant about 36,000 km above Earth. It would be placed in geostationary orbit, which means it has an orbital time equivalent to the period of Earth's rotation and always remains at the same point above the Earth's surface. The project promises to produce as much energy in one year as the total amount of oil that can still be extracted on Earth, and then be transmitted to Earth's surface via microwaves.

When revealing plans for the facility, Chinese aerospace engineer Long Lehao called it “another Three Gorges Dam project above the Earth,” the South China Morning Post reported. The 2,335-meter-long Three Gorges Dam, which spans the Yangtze River in central China, is the world's largest producer of hydropower. “It is as important as moving the Three Gorges Dam to a geostationary orbit 36,000 kilometers above the Earth. It's an incredible project to look forward to,” Long said.

Solar panels-like any photovoltaic system-are designed to harness the sun's energy and generate electricity by turning light energy into usable power. But unlike terrestrial systems, space photovoltaic panels can provide energy continuously, as they are not affected by the seasons or daylight, allowing for a constant harvest of energy from the sun. They are also estimated to be 10 times more efficient in energy harvesting than photovoltaic panels on Earth.

According to Global Construction Review, work on the Chongqing Space Solar Power Plant began in 2019. A reusable heavy-lift rocket, the Long March-9, is expected to be needed to launch the solar power plant into orbit. Once in place, this one-kilometer rocket will be able to collect the necessary energy.

Opening image: International Space Station, via WikiCommons