NASA Space Solar Power Exploratory Research and Technology Programme

NASA's modern engagement with Space-Based Solar Power builds on the landmark 1979 NASA Reference System Study, which remains one of the most cited technical assessments in the SBSP literature. Following decades of limited activity after the 1979 study, NASA renewed institutional interest in SBSP through its Space Solar Power Exploratory Research and Technology (SERT) study in the early 2000s, and has continued periodic assessments. The NASA 1979 Reference System Study defined a canonical architecture — a large satellite in geostationary orbit transmitting power via microwave to a ground rectenna — that has shaped the conceptual vocabulary of SBSP ever since. Modern NASA assessments acknowledge that the core technical barriers identified in 1979 (launch cost, in-space assembly, power conversion efficiency) remain the primary constraints, but note that advances in photovoltaics, power electronics, phased array technology, and commercial launch have materially changed the cost landscape. NASA's current engagement includes support for academic research, participation in international SBSP working groups, and contributions to technology readiness assessments. NASA has not funded a dedicated SBSP flight demonstration programme as of this profile's currency date, but the agency has acknowledged SBSP as a technology warranting continued monitoring given energy security and long-duration space mission power requirements.