{"id":672535,"date":"2025-05-30T12:05:17","date_gmt":"2025-05-30T09:05:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/uk-trial-shows-space-robots-could-build-solar-farms-in-orbit\/"},"modified":"2025-05-30T12:05:17","modified_gmt":"2025-05-30T09:05:17","slug":"uk-trial-shows-space-robots-could-build-solar-farms-in-orbit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/uk-trial-shows-space-robots-could-build-solar-farms-in-orbit\/","title":{"rendered":"UK trial shows space robots could build solar farms in orbit"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a41764547b80\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a41764547b80\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/uk-trial-shows-space-robots-could-build-solar-farms-in-orbit\/#A_solar_revolution_in_space\" >A solar revolution in space?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div id=\"article-main-content\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Remote-controlled robots could one day build giant solar farms in space, according to a recent trial in the UK.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">British startup Space Solar conducted the test at the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UK Atomic Energy Authority\u2019s (UKAEA) facilities on the University of Oxford\u2019s <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Culham Campus<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which hosts several fusion research initiatives.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The company used two remotely operated robotic arms to assemble a section of the support structure for its future solar power satellite. The device aims to beam the Sun\u2019s energy from space to Earth.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to Space Solar, the trial proved that robotics can assemble gigawatt-scale solar power satellites.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"inarticle-wrapper latest channel-cta hs-embed-tnw\">\n<div id=\"hs-embed-tnw\" class=\"channel-cta-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"channel-cta-img\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/tnw.events\/hardfork-2018\/uploads\/visuals\/tnw-newsletter.png\"\/><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/tnw.events\/hardfork-2018\/uploads\/visuals\/tnw-newsletter.png\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"channel-cta-input\">\n<p class=\"channel-cta-title\">The \ud83d\udc9c of EU tech<\/p>\n<p class=\"channel-cta-tagline\">The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol&#8217; founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It&#8217;s free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sam Adlen, the startup\u2019s co-CEO, said the demonstration opens the door to all manner of in-space infrastructure projects. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThis is a milestone not just for our satellite architecture, but for the future of large-scale structures in space, from data centres to energy infrastructure,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As part of its plans to build a working fusion reactor, UKAEA <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is developing robots for extreme industrial environments, such as maintaining future fusion power plants. The trial shows that those same machines may also show promise for cosmic <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>lications.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Professor Rob Buckingham, executive director of UKAEA, said building fusion reactors and structures in space shared some common challenges, such as remoteness, radiation, and extreme temperatures.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The demo suggests that fusion-hardened robotics could help automate the complex task of assembling vast solar farms in orbit.\u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_solar_revolution_in_space\"><\/span><b>A solar revolution in space?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Space Solar plans to capture the Sun\u2019s energy in space, using huge satellites equipped with solar arrays that are s<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">everal kilometres long and around 20 metres wide. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The probes would capture the energy via microwaves and wirelessly transmit it to dedicated receiver stations on Earth, which would convert the energy into electricity. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By 2029, Space Solar plans to commission its first 30MW demonstrator system, which would be capable of powering around 1000 homes. By the early 2030s,\u00a0 the startup plans to deploy its first gigawatt-scale solar space farm.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The UK Space Agency has provided <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.newcivilengineer.com\/latest\/space-based-solar-power-project-awarded-1-2m-by-uk-government-18-04-2024\/#:~:text=Space%20based%20solar%20power%20project%20awarded%20%C2%A31.2M%20by%20UK%20government,-18%20Apr%2C%202024&amp;text=A%20space%2Dbased%20solar%20power,based%20solar%20power%20innovation%20competition.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">grant funding<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for the development of the startup\u2019s first satellite.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Solar panels are theoretically capable of gathering far more energy in space than on Earth because, unhindered by the atmosphere, the intensity of sunlight is much greater. They could also beam energy from orbit 24\/7, regardless of the weather on the ground.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">space-based solar power faces many challenges<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. It\u2019s currently far more expensive than ground-based solar systems \u2014 the initial development of a gigawatt-scale prototype could cost \u20ac15bn\u2013\u20ac20bn. Then there are the potential environmental impacts. Installing a satellite of that scale could involve hundreds of separate rocket launches, contributing to atmospheric pollution.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nevertheless, the European Space Agency (ESA), NASA, and several startups in the UK, US, China, and Japan are all working to make space-based solar a reality.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/category\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/uk-trial-space-robots-could-build-solar-farms-in-orbit\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Remote-controlled robots could one day build giant solar farms in space, according to a recent trial in the UK. British startup Space Solar conducted the test at the UK Atomic Energy Authority\u2019s (UKAEA) facilities on the University of Oxford\u2019s Culham Campus, which hosts several fusion research initiatives. The company used two remotely operated robotic arms&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":672536,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image\/tnw-blurple?filter_last=1&fit=1280%2C640&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn0.tnwcdn.com%2Fwp-content%2Fblogs.dir%2F1%2Ffiles%2F2024%2F04%2Fspace-Solar-Power-Satellite.jpg&signature=189aaa5d339265d4c5990e3d9e1d99dc","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-672535","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/672535","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=672535"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/672535\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/672536"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=672535"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=672535"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=672535"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}