China is advancing a groundbreaking project to build a massive space-based solar power (SBSP) station, potentially generating near-limitless clean energy. Compared to moving the Three Gorges Dam into orbit, the system would collect intense sunlight in space, convert it into microwave energy, and beam it back to Earth.
The kilometer-wide array, expected to be operational within 25 years, will be launched using the new Long March-9 heavy-lift reusable rocket. Unlike Earth-based solar panels, SBSP systems can generate power 99% of the year, unaffected by weather or nightfall.
This ambitious project is part of China’s broader space goals, including lunar exploration and international cooperation, and could mark a new era in the global energy and space race.