All articles tagged with #space power
DARPA-backed researchers are developing radiovoltaic micro-batteries that directly convert nuclear radiation into electricity, enabling maintenance-free, long-duration power for buoys, spacecraft, and remote sensors, with gallium oxide boosting radiation tolerance and power density.
Researchers at the University of New South Wales have demonstrated a thermoradiative diode that converts infrared heat radiated by the Earth into electricity—the first time such a device has produced power. Although current Earth outputs are very small (roughly a watt per square meter), space’s lack of atmospheric interference could let many diodes power satellites during darkness as auxiliary energy, reducing battery dependence. A balloon-based test in near-space is planned; NASA researchers say the concept could work for deep-space missions, but practicality will depend on cost, durability, and scaling for typical satellite needs.
For the first time, scientists have successfully beamed power wirelessly from space to Earth using a microwave beam. The experiment, conducted by researchers in Japan, involved transmitting 1.8 kilowatts of power through a microwave beam from a transmitter on the ground to a receiver 55 meters away on a small island. This breakthrough in space-based solar power could potentially provide a new source of renewable energy for the planet.
China plans to launch 26,000 satellites to create its own satellite internet constellation in low Earth orbit, aiming to rival the U.S.'s StarLink and establish itself as a major "space power" in the wake of increasing military use of satellite-based communications systems.
North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un celebrated the successful launch of a spy satellite, calling it a "new era of space power" and a "full-fledged exercise in self-defense." The satellite, named "Malligyong-1," is believed to give North Korea the capacity to monitor the movement of US and South Korean troops and weapons on the Korean Peninsula. The launch has been condemned by the UN and other countries, and South Korea has partially suspended a military accord with the North.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un celebrates the successful launch of the country's first-ever military spy satellite, claiming it marks a "new era of a space power." The launch, in violation of UN sanctions, has escalated tensions on the Korean peninsula, with Seoul partially suspending and Pyongyang completely suspending the 2018 joint military agreement. South Korea, Japan, and China are set to hold trilateral talks, discussing regional and international situations, amid concerns over North Korea's military development and its relationship with Russia. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has urged Beijing to call for restraint.