China's space station will promote in-orbit technical verification for the country's space solar power plant in the future, Yang Hong, chief designer of China's space station and the Tianhe core module, said on Tuesday.
Key technology verification for the solar power plant will be carried out in two aspects: modules of the plant and an accompanying satellite of it, Yang said.
The modules for the test will be assembled in orbit by using the robotic arm outside the space station. After the power plant maneuvers to a higher orbit and expands its antenna and battery arrays, an accompanying satellite with be launched, he explained.
China made an announcement in June to build the first-ever solar power plant in space by 2028, aiming to convert sunlight in outer space into an electrical supply to drive the satellites in orbit or transmit power back to Earth.