Space Based Solar Power | Sanjay Vijendran, European Space Agency

Space-Based Solar Power has lived in science fiction for decades. But now, with falling launch costs, autonomous robotics, and precision manufacturing, it’s moving closer to engineering reality.

Sanjay Vijendran, Director of Space Energy Insights and former European Space Agency lead on orbital solar, joins Mark and Jeremy to Think on Paper about what it would take to beam clean energy from orbit back down to Earth.

They talk wireless power transmission, lunar manufacturing, energy poverty, and whether space infrastructure can offer what terrestrial systems never could — a constant, global power supply.

If the sun is always shining in space, the real question is whether we’re ready to catch it.

Please enjoy the show. And share with a curious friend.

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Chapters

(00:00) Introduction to Big Problems and Solutions

(01:03) Exploring Space-Based Solar Power

(02:41) Energy Poverty and Its Global Impact

(05:03) The Viability of Space-Based Solar Power

(07:23) Wireless Power Transmission: A Game Changer

(10:14) Technical Challenges of Scaling Up

(12:03) Cost Considerations and Economic Viability

(14:27) Future of Manufacturing in Space

(17:15) Hot Takes and Personal Insights

(19:55) Economics of Space-Based Solar Power

(29:21) Understanding Energy Sources and Their Economics

(31:22) Emerging Private Companies in Space-Based Solar Power

(33:19) Comparing Power Delivery Methods: RF vs. Lasers

(35:47) Safety Mechanisms in Space-Based Power Systems

(41:06) Collaboration vs. Competition in Space Energy

(42:37) Political and Cultural Barriers to Space Energy Adoption

(46:44) The Urgency of Investing in Space-Based Solar Power