China is spearheading a revolutionary energy project with the construction of a one-kilometer-wide solar farm to be launched into geostationary orbit. Once operational, this celestial solar farm will continuously harvest renewable energy from the sun, transmitting it to Earth via microwaves. Unlike terrestrial solar arrays, space-based photovoltaics can provide uninterrupted power, unaffected by seasons or daylight, and are estimated to be ten times more efficient than Earth-based systems.
Chinese aerospace engineer Long Lehao compared the project to building "another Three Gorges Dam above the Earth," highlighting its immense scale and significance. The Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest hydroelectric power producer, serves as a benchmark for the solar farm's ambitious energy goals.
Construction began in Chongqing in 2019, with the reusable Long March-9 heavy-lift rocket planned to launch the solar farm into orbit. Experts estimate that the energy harvested annually by this solar array could rival the total energy derived from Earth's oil reserves. This groundbreaking initiative signals a bold step toward global energy sustainability, alongside other innovative solar projects like solar facades in Australia and expansive solar farms in Turkey.