Japan is about to launch a satellite that captures solar energy in space and sends electricity to Earth in the form of microwaves. The technology promises to generate energy 24 hours a day without relying on clouds, night, or solar panels on the ground.

Written by Maria Heloisa Barbosa Borges

Published on 26/05/2026 at 14:02

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Japan has accelerated the OHISAMA project, which means “Sun” in Japanese, and is preparing to launch a 180-kilogram satellite capable of capturing solar energy in orbit at an altitude of 400 kilometers and transmitting it to a receiving station on Earth via microwaves. The initial power will be only 1 kilowatt, enough to power a coffee maker, but the goal is to validate the technology before scaling up to 1 gigawatt by 2050. The initiative is coordinated by Japan Space Systems with funding from the Japanese government.

Japan is building a way to generate solar energy that does not depend on weather, time, or panels installed on the ground. The OHISAMA project plans to launch a satellite equipped with a 2-square-meter solar panel in low orbit, at an altitude of 400 kilometers, where sunlight is more intense and constant than on the Earth’s surface. The solar energy captured in space will be converted into microwaves and sent directly to a receiving station in the Saitama region, Japan, in a reception area with a radius of 40 kilometers.

The power expected for the initial phase is only 1 kilowatt, equivalent to keeping a coffee maker on for a few hours. But the goal is not to generate volume: it is to prove that the transmission of solar energy from space to Earth works with precision and safety. If the test is successful, Japan Space Systems plans to scale the technology to a satellite in geostationary orbit at 36,000 kilometers altitude, with the capacity to transmit 1 gigawatt of power by 2050, enough to supply hundreds of thousands of homes.

Why solar energy in space is different from terrestrial

The most well-known limitation of conventional solar panels is that they only work during the day and lose efficiency under clouds, rain, and air pollution. In space, solar energy is constant: the sun does not set, there are no clouds, and the radiation is significantly more intense than at sea level, where the atmosphere absorbs part of the energy before it reaches the panels.

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How the OHISAMA satellite transforms light into microwaves

OHISAMA Satellite captures solar energy in space and sends electricity to Earth (Image source: Japan Space Systems)

The technical process of OHISAMA is straightforward. The 180-kilogram satellite will capture solar energy through its orbital photovoltaic panel. This solar energy will be converted into a microwave beam precisely directed to the receiving station on Earth, where specialized antennas will reconvert the microwaves into usable electricity.

The choice of microwaves as a transmission medium is not random. Unlike laser or visible light, microwaves pass through clouds and rain without significant power loss, ensuring that solar energy transmission works regardless of weather conditions on the surface. The Japanese team will also study potential impacts on the ionosphere, the layer of the atmosphere that hosts GPS and telecommunications signals, as part of the experimental protocol before any expansion.

The safety of the microwave beam coming from space

Concern about radiation is legitimate, but the technical data is reassuring. The density of the microwave beam transmitting solar energy is comparable to that of ordinary sunlight on a sunny day, according to analyses published by industry experts. Sanjay Vijendran, from the European Space Agency, stated that the risk of sunburn would be greater than any harm caused by the beam.

The accuracy of the transmission will be the main indicator of the test’s success. If the solar power beam deviates from the receiving station, the power dissipates safely in the atmosphere without causing harm. The technology is designed so that the reception area is large enough to absorb directional variations, and the satellite will have control systems that shut down the transmission if they detect deviation beyond tolerated limits.

What other countries are doing with space solar energy

Japan is not the only country researching space solar energy capture. The United States is developing the PRAM and MAPLE projects, the latter led by Caltech, which has already conducted small-scale solar power transmission tests using microwaves. China has also announced plans for an orbital solar power station, and the European Space Agency is conducting feasibility studies on the subject.

Brazil is not currently participating in any space solar energy projects, but the success of OHISAMA in Japan could pave the way for future partnerships.

Brazil’s geographical position in the Southern Hemisphere and its leadership in terrestrial photovoltaic production position it as a natural receiver should the technology advance to a commercial phase in the coming decades.

The transition from the experimental phase to large-scale generation will depend on reducing launch costs, advances in high-power transmission, and international agreements on the use of the microwave spectrum.

Do you think solar energy captured in space and sent by microwaves will become a reality or is it too much science fiction? What impresses you the most: the idea of generating electricity 24 hours without clouds, the microwave beam, or the plan for 1 gigawatt by 2050? Tell us in the comments.

Japan is about to launch a satellite that captures solar energy in space and sends electricity to Earth in the form of microwaves. The technology promises to generate energy 24 hours a day without relying on clouds, night, or solar panels on the ground.

Why solar energy in space is different from terrestrial

How the OHISAMA satellite transforms light into microwaves

The safety of the microwave beam coming from space

What other countries are doing with space solar energy

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Japan is about to launch a satellite that captures solar energy in space and sends electricity to Earth in the form of microwaves. The technology promises to generate energy 24 hours a day without relying on clouds, night, or solar panels on the ground.

Why solar energy in space is different from terrestrial

How the OHISAMA satellite transforms light into microwaves

The safety of the microwave beam coming from space

What other countries are doing with space solar energy

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China is building an artificial island in the middle of the sea, covering 20 km², to construct the largest offshore airport in the world, the Dalian Jinzhouwan. This $4.3 billion project is anchored on more than 3,000 pillars embedded in the rock beneath the ocean and is scheduled to open in 2035.

Forget petroleum-based asphalt: a Scottish company transforms 684,000 plastic bottles into one kilometer of road that is 60% more resistant and up to 10 times more durable, and the technology has already started replacing traditional asphalt in more than 30 countries.

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A robot named Walter does the work of five bricklayers per hour and can save the construction industry, where the average age of professionals is 46 years and almost no one wants to learn the trade anymore, in the United Kingdom.

Spain installs two giant pipelines 2.2 km off the coast to draw water from the Mediterranean and supply a megafacility capable of producing 200 million liters of drinking water per day.

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