Sanjay Vijendran of TerraSpark joins Thinking on Paper to explain how space-based solar power could become a practical source of clean energy.

TerraSpark is developing wireless power-transmission systems that could eventually collect solar energy in orbit and beam it to receivers on Earth. The company plans to demonstrate the concept by powering a live music event in Portugal and by testing radio-frequency power transfer aboard Dcube’s Arrakis mission.

In this episode, we discuss:

How space-based solar power works
How energy can be transmitted wirelessly
TerraSpark’s plan to power a concert in Portugal
What its in-orbit power-beaming experiment will test
The differences between radio-frequency and laser power transmission
How near-infrared power beaming works
How much energy is lost during wireless transmission
Whether orbital data centres could use the same infrastructure
How space-based solar could improve energy security
Why spectrum regulation and interference testing matter
What investors and regulators need to see before the technology can scale

Sanjay explains the engineering, regulatory and commercial challenges behind power beaming, including transmission efficiency, safety, spectrum allocation and the cost of placing energy infrastructure in orbit.

This conversation examines whether space-based solar power can move beyond demonstration projects and become a credible alternative to terrestrial energy generation and fossil fuels.

Thinking on Paper is a technology podcast about AI, Space, quantum computing, science, and the systems shaping the future.

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Chapters

(00:00) Introduction to Space-Based Solar Power

(01:37) Market Trends and Projections

(03:52) Energy Crisis and Global Dependencies

(06:26) The Threat to Power Structures

(07:39) Innovative Demonstrations of Wireless Power

(10:31) Future Plans and Space Missions

(20:41) Scaling Power Transmission from Space

(22:35) Technologies for Space-Based Solar Power

(31:22) Governance and Regulation of Space-Based Solar Power

(49:57) The Future of Space-Based Solar Power