A leading Chinese engineer says space-based solar power stations could one day change the intensity and path of typhoons. Duan Baoyan, lead scientist on the Zhuri project, also sees the technology as a “space-based power bank” for satellites and lunar bases.
Duan Baoyan, a professor at Xidian University in Xi’an, proposed using microwave beams from orbital solar stations to heat moisture inside typhoons. If enough energy is directed at storm systems, it could alter atmospheric circulation and shift cyclone paths.
Duan leads the Zhuri (“chasing the sun”) project, first proposed in 2013. The team aims to demonstrate a megawatt-class space solar station by 2030. In 2022, they built a 75-metre test tower on campus to simulate the entire power-beaming process on Earth.
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Typhoons cause massive destruction across Asia each year. If space beams can weaken storms or steer them away from populated areas, the technology could save lives and reduce economic losses. The same system also solves the problem of keeping satellites and space stations powered.
Solar panels in geostationary orbit collect sunlight 10 times more efficiently than on Earth, with no clouds or night interruptions. The energy converts to microwaves and beams to receiving stations on the ground. By aiming these beams at storm systems, the microwave energy heats moisture and disrupts cyclone formation.
The Zhuri station could charge satellites, space stations, and deep-space probes, letting them operate longer and travel farther. Duan envisions future space internet networks and lunar bases relying on this “space-based power bank” technology.
The scale is enormous. A megawatt-class station would outweigh the entire International Space Station. Safety concerns remain: stray beams could damage satellites or overheat solar panels in crowded orbit. There is no public approval from China’s central government for full orbital construction yet.
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Space solar power is becoming a new frontier for major technological powers. The US Caltech team successfully beamed microwave energy in orbit in 2023. Japan has also conducted experiments. As launch costs fall, Duan says the once-futuristic idea is now within reach.
