SRIC4 #07: “Space Based Solar Power and the New Paradigm of the Space Industry”

Name: SRIC4 #07: “Space Based Solar Power and the New Paradigm of the Space Industry”
Start: 2025-12-10T08:00:00+01:00
End: 2025-12-10T21:00:00+01:00
Location: Zoom

10 December @ 8:00 am - 9:00 pm CET

This is the preliminary webinar #07 of the IV SRI World Congress (SRIC4)

Abstract

The idea of generating solar energy in space and beaming it down to Earth using lasers or microwaves is not new. Isaac Asimov envisioned a large space-based solar power satellite transmitting energy to Earth in his 1941 short story Reason. Later, in 1968, Peter Glaser described the SBSP concept in greater detail and obtained a patent for it. The concept was further studied by ERDA, but by the early 1980s the project was discontinued. During the 1980s and 1990s, however, new technologies emerged, and several global efforts—particularly in Japan—advanced the technology readiness level of wireless power transmission. In the early 2000s, a study by the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) concluded that the SBSP concept is technically feasible. This year, new studies have identified five concepts with strong potential for commercial viability, and multiple startups worldwide have successfully raised funding to pursue them. In recent years, we have witnessed a new paradigm in the space industry. The sharp reduction in launch costs, the emergence of highly modular SBSP architectures, and the growing global demand for clean energy have positioned SBSP as a promising emerging space market. This lecture provides a concise historical overview and explains the reference SBSP concept evaluated in the 1980s. It then highlights modern advancements and shows how new designs overcome the challenges faced by earlier concepts. A brief review of the most commercially viable SBSP architectures is also included.

A short bio

Ghanim Alotaibi is a PhD candidate at the University of Strathclyde. His research project is thermal management for an advanced Solar Power Satellite (SPS) concept with the aim of advancing the Technology Readiness Level (TRL). As a mechanical engineer graduated from Kuwait University, Ghanim started his career as a petroleum engineer at Kuwait Oil Company. After obtaining a degree in astronomy and completed his master’s in solar energy (photovoltaics) from Freiburg University, he proposed the first satellite for Kuwait University. The satellite project was funded and it was successfully launched in January 2023. Ghanim was an active member in many space non-profit organizations. In the past, Ghanim was the Middle East Regional Coordinator of the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC). Currently, he is the project manager for the Moon Village – Participation of Emerging Space Countries (MV-PESC). The aim of the project is to bring developing countries to perform moon projects. In addition, Ghanim is a board member at the Space Renaissance Initiative (SRI) and co – chairing the towards the young generation committee. Ghanim’s exposure to space research and the wider space community motivated him to initiate and lead countless activities to bring concepts of advancing human civilization into space to developing countries. For this reason, he founded Advance Space Civilization Initiative (ASCI) where he offers courses about the topic for the general audience focusing on developing countries.

Follow the Livestream on the Space Renaissance YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/live/6TGfcN1Xawo

and click ‘going’ on the Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1471951040553020/