Caltech to launch Space Solar Power Technology demo into orbit in January

An ambitious concept to gather solar power in space will be put to the test by the Space Solar Power Demonstrator (SSPD).

The Space Solar Power Demonstrator (SSPD), a prototype that will be launched into orbit by the Caltech Space Solar Power Project (SSPP) in January 2023, will be used to test a number of important aspects of the ambitious plan to harvest solar power in space and beam it back to Earth. The 50-kilogram SSPD will be launched into orbit on the Transporter-6 mission by a Momentus Vigoride spacecraft atop a SpaceX rocket.

The project's key milestone, the launch, which is currently planned for early January, promises to turn what was once science fiction into reality. When completely realized, the SSPP will deploy a constellation of modular spacecraft that can capture sunlight, convert it into electricity, and then wirelessly transport that electricity across great distances, even to locations that do not currently have access to dependable power.

The rocket will take around 10 minutes to go where it wants to go. The Momentus spacecraft will then be sent into orbit from the rocket. Within a few weeks of the launch, the Caltech team on Earth intends to begin conducting its tests on the SSPD. Within a few months of the introduction, the SSPP team anticipates having a thorough evaluation of the performance of the SSPD.