China has advanced its plans to launch a space solar power plant programme in 2028, two years ahead of the original schedule, according to a new paper.
The nation, earlier, aimed to put a 1 megawatt solar energy station in space by 2030.
According to the updated plan, published in the peer-reviewed journal Chinese Space Science and Technology, a satellite will be launched in 2028 to test wireless power transmission technology from space to the ground from an altitude of 400km, the South China Morning Post reported.
In the paper, the researchers said the satellite would convert solar energy to microwaves or lasers and direct the energy beams to various targets, including fixed locations on Earth and moving satellites.
