Japan could be turning science fiction into reality if it succeeds. The power of the sun might soon be available at a power station near you. Japan's space agency, in collaboration with Kyoto University, will test a method that would allow humanity to beam solar energy down to Earth for use regardless of the weather.
PRAM is testing functional components of what would be part of a power satellite network that could transmit energy from space to anywhere on Earth. Since the launch, the team has been receiving data regularly.
It has been one year since U.S. Naval Research Laboratory engineers launched PRAM, the Photovoltaic Radio-frequency Antenna Module, aboard the Air Force X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle on May 17, 2020.,
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WASHINGTON, June 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ It has been one year since U.S. Naval Research Laboratory engineers launched PRAM, the Photovoltaic Radio-frequency Antenna Module, aboard the Air Force X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle on May 17, 2020.
The mission is part of a comprehensive investigation into prospective terrestrial use of solar energy captured in space.
Image of the Photovoltaic Radio-frequency Antenna Module (PRAM) with a 12-inch ruler for scale. The hardware is the first orbital experiment designed to convert sunlight for microwave power transmission for solar power satellites. (U.S. Naval Research Laboratory) The experiment is chugging along, and continues to operate and provide a bounty of flight data.