Engineers at NASA’s Langley Research Center test deployment of the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System’s solar sail, circa 2023. Now private companies are trying to enter the space industry by introducing ways to harness solar energy and send it back to Earth. (NASA)

Space-Based Power Has Sci-fi Appeal but May Never Be Feasible 

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Data shows that terrestrial solar power is much more effective than thousands of orbital mirrors could be.

Space-based power, the idea of delivering power from orbit, is older than the space age itself. But it has gained new prominence as companies propose to turn this old idea into a new reality. In July 2026, startup company Reflect Orbital received Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approval to launch a test satellite that could be the forerunner of a constellation of 50,000 satellites. 

While there are environmental and safety objections to space-based power, the fundamental issue is whether space-based power is practical and can deliver real benefits relative to terrestrial power generation. Unfortunately, space-based power faces vast physical, technological, and financial obstacles. 

What Are Space Mirrors?

Reflect Orbital may be the first space-based power company to launch a satellite, and its proposal illustrates how implausible space-based power can be. It plans to launch a test satellite soon and deploy 50,000 satellites by 2035 to assist power generation, agriculture, industry, and emergency response. 

Reflect Orbital will use the simplest........

© The National Interest