The typical heavy lenses and complicated electronics that aren’t particularly cost-effective to launch might eventually be replaced by solar-powered lasers that use the photosynthetic machinery of bacteria to give a low-mass, straightforward, and sustainable method of powering spacecraft.
According to Erik Gauger, a professor of photonics and quantum science at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh and the project’s leader, “We plan to use photosynthetic structures extracted from bacteria, and the idea is that you can grow them and keep replenishing material; you don’t need to maintain a supply line from Earth,” Space.com reported.
As the number of satellites orbiting our planet keeps increasing, researchers are beginning to concentrate on finding long-term ways to power these spacecraft. We may be able to extend the life of spaceships with improved power technologies. Power beaming is one possible remedy; solar arrays are used to transform sunlight into lasers or microwaves that may be directed at a damaged satellite and used to power it through a receiver on the satellite’s side.
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The initial space-based power-beaming experiments were successful in early 2023, sending low-power microwaves—no more than a few milliwatts—from the Space Solar Power Demonstrator satellite to a Caltech ground station. Japanese researchers want to do the same in 2025.
Any orbiting solar farms would need to be replaced or repaired regularly due to the large and heavy nature of solar arrays and their intricate electronics and designs. APACE project researchers believe they have a solution, and it’s likely better to discover a more self-sufficient and sustainable approach. Their goal with this study is to modify the molecular structures that enable photosynthetic bacteria to make a laser system that may be utilized in space.
Gauger explained, “Our key idea is to replace the concentrating optics with the photosynthetic antenna complexes.”
The need for frequent launches from Earth to repair and replace outdated solar panels may be eliminated if the bacteria were cultivated in orbit, either on a spacecraft or the International Orbit Station.
But as Gauger noted, putting a prototype into orbit would cost far more money and be dependent on phase 1’s success.
“It could be extended in capacity in space by growing more bacteria and manufacturing it there, rather than needing to ship it out,” Gauger added. “Some of the engineering problems are probably a little bit down the line, but that’s the long-term vision.”
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