American Made Advocacy: Where’s the Budget for a Modern Military Run on Microelectronics?
Defense Speak Interpreted: JADC2—Why It’s More Relevant Than Ever in Drone Warfare
Beyond the Board: Orbital High Ground—Why Space Superiority Is Slipping Away
Japan’s OHISAMA Project Aims to Beam Solar Power from Space This Year
July 14, 2025 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamEstimated reading time: 1 minute
Japan could be on the cusp of making history with its OHISAMA project in its quest to become the first country to transmit solar power from space to Earth, The Volt reported.
Developed by Japan Space Systems, the ambitious initiative seeks to harness the sun’s energy in space and beam it back to Earth, potentially revolutionizing the generation and distribution of clean energy. The project aims to be operational later this year, and if successful, the landmark project could see space-based solar power (SBSP) as an additional source of clean, continuous electricity.
The plan is to launch a 180-kilogram satellite into low Earth orbit (LEO) at an altitude of 400 kilometers. Equipped with a 2-square-meter photovoltaic (PV) panel, the satellite will convert solar energy into electricity, store it in onboard batteries, and then beam it as microwave energy to a receiving station on Earth.
Although the system will transmit only 1 kilowatt—enough to power a small appliance — at the April 2024 International Conference on Energy from Space in London, Japan Space Systems adviser Koichi Ijichi said, “This mission marks a pivotal step towards realizing space-based solar power stations that could provide clean energy irrespective of weather conditions on Earth,” Space.com reported.
A January 2024 NASA report raised concerns about cost and excessive greenhouse gases produced by rockets launching assemblies into orbit, which the report stated could threaten to tip the scales, making SBSP much less climate-friendly than Earth-based technologies.
However, RatedPower reported that advances in launch vehicles, solar panels, and wireless transmission could gradually make SBSP viable, given that orbital systems can generate up to 13 times more energy than ground-based panels, potentially matching the output of nuclear plants.
Japan hopes OHISAMA will pave the way for future gigawatt-scale SBSP systems to deliver around-the-clock, weatherproof renewable power from space.
Share on:
Testimonial
"Advertising in PCB007 Magazine has been a great way to showcase our bare board testers to the right audience. The I-Connect007 team makes the process smooth and professional. We’re proud to be featured in such a trusted publication."
Klaus Koziol - atgSuggested Items
L3Harris Expands Florida Facility to Support America’s Golden Dome
08/22/2025 | L3Harris TechnologiesL3Harris Technologies has completed a $100 million expansion at its satellite integration and test facility in Palm Bay to support the Department of Defense’s (DOD) urgent need for on-orbit technology for the Golden Dome for America.
Northrop Grumman Integrates Multiple Antennas to Track Satellites in First-Time USSF DARC Demo
08/19/2025 | Northrop GrummanNorthrop Grumman Corporation and U.S. Space Force (USSF) Space Systems Command’s (SSC) Deep-Space Advanced Radar Capability (DARC) successfully combined the capability of multiple ground-based antennas at DARC Site 1 in Western Australia, demonstrating technology that will create the world’s most capable deep-space tracking radar system.
Coherent Announces Agreement to Sell Aerospace and Defense Business to Advent for $400 Million
08/15/2025 | AdventCoherent Corp., a global leader in photonics, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Aerospace and Defense business to Advent, a leading global private equity investor, for $400 million. Proceeds will be used to reduce debt, which will be immediately accretive to Coherent’s EPS.
US Space Force Successfully Launches L3Harris-Built NTS-3 Satellite
08/15/2025 | L3Harris TechnologiesThe L3Harris-built advanced Navigation Technology Satellite-3 (NTS-3) has successfully launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vulcan rocket.
KYZEN Partners with LPW to Elevate High Purity Cleaning with Cutting-Edge Cyclic Nucleation Technology in North America
08/13/2025 | KYZEN'KYZEN, a global leader in advanced cleaning solutions, has reached a major milestone in high-purity cleaning with the addition of a state-of-the-art Vacuum Cyclic Nucleation System at its North American Application Lab.