The Belgian entrepreneur Jasper Deprez wants to bring solar energy from space to Earth with his start-up TerraSpark. The reason was a personal and unpleasant experience.
During the Great Spanish Blackout of 2025, Deprez, who lives near Barcelona, was without power for almost a week, and by his own account, it was hell, especially as a family with two small children.
Space-based solar power
Deprez began to delve into space-based solar power (SBSP), a technology in which satellites with solar panels transmit the generated electricity to Earth via radio waves.
This allows you to provide wireless energy to places without access to an electricity grid. Solar panels yield more in space: there is no night and no cloud cover.
Meanwhile, solar panels are much more efficient than before, and it costs less to put satellites into orbit, thanks in part to commercial players like Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
Low Earth Orbit
TerraSpark will start with smaller satellites at approximately 1,200 kilometers, in the upper regions of Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The first one will be launched next year. After that, TerraSpark aims to scale up. Higher and higher, until eventually reaching geostationary satellites.
TerraSpark initially targets small-scale projects, but later, solar power could also help absorb peak load on the power grid. “Depending on the orbit around the Earth, you can power every location on the planet twice a day,” Deprez explains.
“Just as you establish a data connection with Earth via satellite, you can also use radio waves to transmit power via a well-aimed beam. Like a wireless charger, but remotely.”
‘Technically feasible’
The way electricity is sent to Earth resembles a mobile transmission tower, which transmits radio waves widely but can also adjust them precisely. During transport, 85 percent of the yield remains intact.
Nasa en the European Space Agency have repeatedly confirmed that the project is technically feasible; there are no physical barriers. It will remain expensive, though, because huge structures are needed in space. TerraSpark’s 2030 commercial claim is ambitious and risky.
Sensitive subject
Radiation is a sensitive subject and easily sparks discussions about its effects on health. TerraSpark will therefore do everything possible to comply with the ICNIRP (International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection) standards.
The company is also adding extra security: fences will be installed around the antennas, and a ground-based signal will check for any obstacles. As soon as that happens, the satellite automatically stops energy transport. “After all, if space power becomes as commonplace as space internet, it has to be safe.”
TerraSpark is not alone; it is part of a global wave. In Europe, we know the European Space Agency’s Solaris Program. In the US, the California Institute of Technology demonstrated wireless power transfer in space in 2023.
