In a certain Japanese cartoon series, in the near future 300 years from now, Earth gets almost all it's power from the Sun through a ring of solar panels a few kilometers up above in the sky, around the planet.
I can imagine this will start with a few electric companies that decide to send a few dozen satellites into space. Then a few hundred later on. All orbiting our planet, and transmitting microwave energy into collection antennas on the surface.
I can imagine this will start with a few electric companies that decide to send a few dozen satellites into space. Then a few hundred later on. All orbiting our planet, and transmitting microwave energy into collection antennas on the surface.
That's a pretty common science fiction theme, but it's not going to happen.
Think about it: if you were a sovereign nation, would you want some other nation (with whom you might have disagreements) putting a huge power beam transmitter into orbit that could have the capability of focusing its beam into a tolerably surgical death ray?
You almost certainly would care for that...
