Ambitious teams of scientists have long toiled behind the scenes on various missions to space.
But even before they helped put a man on the moon back in 1969, one of their own had concocted another complex plan.
Peter Glaser, who worked with Nasa on numerous experiments carried out in space or on the moon, is credited as the first person to have proposed a method for creating space-based energy that could be beamed back to earth.
He did so back in 1968 and received a patent for his idea five years later. His concept, in short, was to have a satellite that could harness solar energy from the sun, convert it into microwave frequencies and then zap it back as energy to the earth's surface, according to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), a professional group.
"There it would be collected by special antennas, electronically converted back to low frequencies or direct current, and used to supplement existing earth-bound power plants," says the IEEE.
Currently, the cost to produce electricity is still much more expensive in space than on Earth. It costs about US$100 per kilowatt hour up in space versus about 10 cents down here.
"So if the cost of power in space is 1,000 times higher, how in the world are we ever going to do anything ambitious in space?" says John Mankins, the president of Artemis Innovation Management Solutions, a consultancy that has studied the prospects of space-based solar power.
"There will never be factories or colonies in space, or anything that represents anything ambitious without a lot more energy and a lot lower price," Mr Mankins says.
That is where scientists hope research and development that looks at the prospects of space-based solar power, as well as a bit of lobbying, can come into play.
Many moons ago, Philip Chapman worked as a research scientist alongside Mr Glaser. Mr Chapman is now the chairman for Solar High, a group of senior - and mostly retired - aerospace specialists who formed the group some years back to promote the research and development efforts behind solar powered satellites.
Some of their work has included producing research papers with technical and market information about the state of space-based solar power, which they have shared with policymakers in the US Congress. Others within the group have attended international conferences and discussed the growing need for alternative fuel sources such as this, particularly as the demand for energy around the world rises.
"Several of us in the group were involved in the original study and are still interested," says Mr Chapman.
"It's a clean source of electric power, and if we can build them in a price competitive way we get an extra benefit from them."
Analysts agree there are certain advantages of using solar technology in space versus on earth.
"The appeal is it's more efficient in being able to capture more sunlight in terms of hours of the day," says Michael Barker, a senior analyst with the NPD Group, a market research firm.
One of the issues with trying to tap the sun's rays from earth for power is that they are not always shining — namely at night, or when the sky is overcast.
"So space-based solar power has a significant advantage, because in space if you go to a high enough orbit the sun shines constantly," says Mr Mankins.
But some analysts warn the concept has yet to be proven within the global energy sector, as solar farms have still not been established in space.
"It's not making an impact on the industry currently," Mr Barker says.
"I think that's still in the preliminary investigation stages."
For decades, the concept has struggled to fully take off for a number of reasons.
Back when Mr Glaser, Mr Chapman and others first began discussing a space-based solar power project with interested parties they ran into a macroeconomic challenge: the price of oil moved upward and peaked in the 1980s, only to crash later that same decade, which removed much of the incentive to turn to the sun via expensive satellite projects.
"The whole thing got put on the back burner," says Mr Chapman.
Another hurdle has been the lack of sufficient government or private investments backing a huge space-based solar project.
The industry is still at least four years away from seeing a fleet of solar-grabbing satellites launched into space - from the time that somebody decides to start investing money into such a plan, Mr Chapman estimates.
"It's a big project," says Mr Chapman, who pegs its cost in the tens of billions of dollars. "It's an enormous project."
Others believe the wait will be longer than that.
Mr Mankins, for one, estimates it will take about a decade before there is a major proof of concept for space-based solar satellites. He says advances in robotics, electronics, software and wireless Internet connectivity are playing in the industry's favour.
Only time will tell whether the sun will shine on this ambitious idea.
business@thenational.ae
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hoopla%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EDate%20started%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMarch%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Jacqueline%20Perrottet%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2010%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPre-seed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20required%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24500%2C000%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
'The Lost Daughter'
Director: Maggie Gyllenhaal
Starring: Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Dakota Johnson
Rating: 4/5
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20SAMSUNG%20GALAXY%20Z%20FLIP%204
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Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3EFounder%3A%20Hani%20Abu%20Ghazaleh%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20with%20an%20office%20in%20Montreal%3Cbr%3EFounded%3A%202018%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20Virtual%20Reality%3Cbr%3EInvestment%20raised%3A%20%241.2%20million%2C%20and%20nearing%20close%20of%20%245%20million%20new%20funding%20round%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%2012%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
The specs: Volvo XC40
Price: base / as tested: Dh185,000
Engine: 2.0-litre, turbocharged in-line four-cylinder
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 250hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 350Nm @ 1,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 10.4L / 100km
Reading List
Practitioners of mindful eating recommend the following books to get you started:
Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life by Thich Nhat Hanh and Dr Lilian Cheung
How to Eat by Thich Nhat Hanh
The Mindful Diet by Dr Ruth Wolever
Mindful Eating by Dr Jan Bays
How to Raise a Mindful Eaterby Maryann Jacobsen
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPAD%20PRO%20(12.9%22%2C%202022)
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Company%20profile
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The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
MATCH INFO
RB Leipzig 2 (Klostermann 24', Schick 68')
Hertha Berlin 2 (Grujic 9', Piatek 82' pen)
Man of the match Matheus Cunha (Hertha Berlin
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
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The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
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Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
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How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey