The chiefs of space are trying to figure out if it's possible to send electricity from space to millions of homes.
The European Space Agency will approve a three-year study to see if having huge solar farms in space can work.
The ultimate goal is for giant satellites to generate the same amount of power as a power station.
The idea is going to be considered by the governing council.
The idea of a space-based renewable energy generation system has been looked into by several organizations and space agencies.
The budget for the next phase of the space agency's plans for space exploration, environmental monitoring and communications will be decided at the Council meeting of the European Space Agency in Paris.
The director general of the European Space Agency believes that solar power from space could be helpful in addressing future energy shortages.
He said that the way we produce energy needs to be changed to be carbon neutral.
It would be great if we could do it from space because it would solve a lot of problems.
There is no night or clouds in the space where the Sun's energy can be collected. The idea has been around for more than 50 years but has been too expensive to implement.
Thanks to the private sector, the cost of launches has plummeted thanks to innovative technologies. There have been advances in robotic construction in space, as well as the development of technology to beam electricity from space to earth.
To see if solar power can be developed reliably and cheaply enough to make it economically viable, the European Space Agency is looking for funds from its member nations.
The idea of space-based solar power is no longer a fiction according to Dr. Vijendran.
We need to understand the technological path before we can make a decision about building something in space.
The main focus of the program is to see if it is possible. This can't be done with a long cable, so it needs to be sent using microwaves.
In principle, it's possible to transmit electricity safely and efficiently.
In September, engineers sent 2 kilowatts of power from solar cells to collectors more than 30 metres away at a demonstration at the aircraft manufacturer in Germany. It will be a big step up to send gigawatts of power over thousands of miles, but according to Jean Dominique Coste, who is a senior manager for the blue sky division, it could be accomplished in a few small steps.
He said that there were no technical show-stoppers that would prevent them from having space-based solar power.
The chief scientist of Emrod said that the technology was safe.
He said nothing would get fried.
Even at its peak intensity in the center of the beam, it will not be hazardous to animals or humans.
The US, China and Japan are expected to announce their own plans for space-based solar power in the near future. There is a new company in the UK called Space Solar. Within six years, it wants to demonstrate the power of space, and within nine years, it wants to sell it.
It might be possible to have a satellite capable of producing the same amount of electricity as a power station by the year 2040, according to an assessment by the UK government. According to Dr Vijendran, it could be done within a decade if more funding and political support is given.
He says it could be the same as the moon shot.
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