By Lin Smith

June 30, 2013—What is Space Based Solar Power? Spaced Based Solar Power was first proposed in 1968 by Dr. Peter Glaser. It means collecting solar power for use on Earth–but from solar panels launched into space by solar powered satellites. In 1968, Dr. Glaser’s dream of getting solar power from a space satellite was treated by his fellow scientists as a pipe dream, the world was not ready to fund a project that sounded like science fiction, even though he was granted a U.S. patent for the solar stations in 1973. Today, John Mankins, a former NASA engineer, heads the program in the U.S. His goal–provide clean energy to every person on Earth for less than the cost of current energy sources. In 2012 NASA approved funding for continued research of the solar space project.

Mankins explains how the space panels would work, “After the…