Thinking on Paper - Quantum Computing, AI and Space Technology Conversations Space Solar Power: Can We Really Get Free Energy From Orbit? | Ex-SpaceX Engineer Explains
Can space-based solar power actually give humanity free, unlimited energy by 2030?
John Bucknell, former SpaceX Senior Propulsion Engineer on the Raptor rocket engine and CEO of Virtus Solis, reveals how orbital solar power could drop energy costs from $40 per megawatt hour to just 50 cents, solving the energy trilemma that no other technology can achieve.
PERFECT FOR LISTENERS INTERESTED IN:
- Space technology and commercial space industry
- Clean energy solutions and climate tech innovation
- SpaceX, Blue Origin, and the future of orbital infrastructure
- AI data center power challenges
- Gerard K. O'Neill's The High Frontier vision
- Post-scarcity economics and energy abundance
WHAT YOU'LL DISCOVER:
- Why Elon Musk reversed his position on lunar mining versus Mars colonization
- How space-based solar power achieves clean, firm, and affordable energy—the only technology that does all three
- The real economics: 3 to 5 cents per kilowatt hour initially, dropping to 0.05 cents after financing
- What happens to capitalism when energy becomes essentially free
- Why Kessler Syndrome concerns about orbital debris are misunderstood
- The 2030 timeline for Virtus Solis.
Please Enjoy the show.
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ABOUT JOHN BUCKNELL:
John holds over 46 patents in propulsion and energy systems. At SpaceX, he was Senior Propulsion Engineer working on the revolutionary Raptor full-flow staged combustion engine. He's also designed nuclear thermal turbo rockets and now leads Virtus Solis, developing the first generation of commercial space-based solar power stations.
EPISODE TIMESTAMPS:
(00:00) The Question: Can space solar give us free energy?
(00:43) The High Frontier: O'Neill's vision for space colonies
(01:13) John Bucknell: The SpaceX Raptor Engineer
(02:04) Why Did Elon Change His Mind about the Moon?
(05:34) The Space Energy Business: Economics and feasibility
(11:59) Getting Politicians Behind Space-Based Solar Power
(15:34) Post-Capitalism and Free Energy: What happens next?
(20:09) Kessler Syndrome Explained: Is orbital debris really a threat?
(27:25) Top 3 Things Humanity Should Solve
(28:50) 2030 Launch Timeline and next steps
ABOUT THINKING ON PAPER:
We unpack the future with the people building it. Weekly conversations with innovators in space exploration, energy technology, artificial intelligence, and breakthrough industries. Hosted by Jeremy Gilbertson and Mark Fielding.
This is Part 3 of our Space-Based Solar Power exploration series.
Coming next: Philip Metzger, former NASA scientist, discusses the politics of space and rocket science.
RECOMMENDED READING:
"The High Frontier: Human Colonies in Space" by Gerard K. O'Neill (1976)
Follow Thinking on Paper to get notified when new episodes drop every week. Leave a comment—what would you do with unlimited, essentially free energy?