{
  "id": 14746360,
  "title": "'We're not a competitor to fusion. We are fusion': Inside the race to harness unlimited solar power in space",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/15/were-not-a-competitor-to-fusion-we-are-fusion-inside-the-race-to",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-15T16:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Live Science",
    "slug": "live-science",
    "url": "https://www.livescience.com/space/were-not-a-competitor-to-fusion-we-are-fusion-inside-the-race-to-harness-unlimited-solar-power-in-space"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In the year 2050, the night sky will be adorned with the first constellations of satellite clusters, capturing the sun's last rays and transmitting their power back to Earth. Space-based solar power (SBSP) once existed only in the imaginative realms of 20th-century visionaries and writers, but now governments and private companies are rediscovering the idea's potential. Projects are underway in China, the U.S., the U.K., and Japan, with test launches slated for the next five years. Supporters argue that SBSP could meet Earth's energy needs many times over while causing minimal environmental harm. However, skeptics point out the technology's exorbitant costs, untested assumptions, and complexity, questioning whether it can be deployed in time for a timely green-energy transition. Despite these challenges, researchers persist, recognizing that the sun already provides the energy needed — all that remains is to capture and transmit it.",
  "summary": "Space-based solar power has the potential to meet Earth's energy needs many times over. Will it see the light of day?",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}