Japan is about to achieve something revolutionary – it will become the first country to beam solar power from space to Earth. Forget rooftop panels; the future lies in orbit. The ambitious OHISAMA project, named after the Japanese word for “sun,” is a brave move toward clean round-the-clock energy.
OHISAMA, led by Japan Space Systems, involves a 400-pound test satellite with a 22-square-foot solar panel. This panel will gather sunlight in orbit, store energy in an onboard battery, and beam it back to Earth with microwaves. To pick up the signal, the ground antennas, which cover a distance of 25 miles, must be placed three miles apart because of the blistering speed of 17,400 mph of the satellite.
Although the test will only transmit approximately 1 kilowatt, which is enough to run a dishwasher for one hour, it is a significant milestone. Koichi Ijichi, an adviser to the project, reported these developments at the International Conference on Energy from Space in London (April 2024).
Japan is not a newcomer to this field. In 2015, the scientists were able to transmit 1.8 kilowatts wirelessly over 55 meters and later increased it to 10 kilowatts over 500 meters. Now the vision is to eventually launch large satellites in geostationary orbit capable of producing up to one gigawatt (enough to power hundreds of thousands of homes).
Space-based solar power provides a key advantage: it operates 24/7, regardless of weather or seasonal conditions. This technology may change the way energy is accessed in disaster zones, remote areas, and areas of unreliable infrastructure.
Though OHISAMA is still a test project, its implications are sky-high. Japan’s bold jump indicates that the next chapter of clean energy may not be on our roofs, but high above them in space.
