Spacecraft Engineer, Dr. Paul Jaffe, on the social and environmental benefits of space-based solar power, how it works + the challenges

Jan 17, 2020

What if we could collect solar energy from outer space and beam it down to earth? I mean, if we could do this, this would mean we could have access to clean energy 24/7/365 a year regardless of weather, time of day, location, etc.  And while I know this may sound impossible, maybe even a bit sci-fi(ish), this is exactly the technology my guest today, spacecraft engineer Dr. Paul Jaffe, is working to develop at the US Naval Research Laboratory in Washington DC.  In fact, Dr. Jaffe, along with his team at NRL, has successfully built and tested a module that would make it possible to capture and transmit solar power. But how does this technology work? What are the challenges? And why aren’t more people talking about space-based solar power? 

This and more on today’s episode of The Wise Consumer.

In today’s episode we chat about:

• What led Dr. Jaffe to pursue a career in aerospace engineering (his interest for space technology and energy started at a very young age).
• The difference between geosynchronous and geostationary orbits.
• What power beaming is and how it works.
• The social and environmental benefits that capturing, converting, and transmitting solar energy from space could have on a global level.
• Why he believes it’s important to investigate diverse forms of alternative energy technologies (basically, we shouldn’t put all our eggs in one basket).
• Why he believes we should be hopeful about the future.
• And so much more.

Happy listening!

Connect with Dr. Paul Jaffe:
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For more info, check out -- Dr. Jaffe's TEDx Talk "Common Ground From Space"; Solar Power When It's Raining: NRL Builds Space Satellite Module to Try; Researchers transmit energy with laser in ‘historic’ power-beaming demonstration

US Naval Research Laboratory:
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