Graduate School of Science and Engineering students Yusuke Kishida, Miki Kaneko, and Munetsugu Higashikawa won second prize in the International Space Solar Power Student Project Competition 2022.

Yusuke Kishida, Miki Kaneko, and Munetsugu Higashikawa, who are enrolled in the Master's Program in Major in Mechanical Engineering at the Graduate School of Science and Technology, won the second prize in the International Space Solar Power Student Project Competition 2022.

The International Space Solar Power Student Project Competition 2022 is an international research/paper competition focusing on novel and meaningful student research in the field of space solar power. We are working on the realization of a "space solar power plant", a Solar Power Satellite (SPS), which will use a giant antenna to transmit energy from orbit to the ground via microwave beams. We have conducted a basic study to construct a huge wireless power transmission system with precise beam control to the ground, and presented the results in this contest. The semi-finals were held at the 2022 International Space Development Conference (ISDC) in the United States and the finals were held at the 2022 International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in France.

SPS is a "power plant in space" that generates solar power in space and transmits it wirelessly to the ground via microwave. Because it uses solar power, it is expected to be a near-future energy system that will solve various problems such as depletion of natural resources and greenhouse gas emissions. The SPS is packed with unprecedented technologies, including wireless power transmission between space and ground, and its realization is a new challenge for mankind to explore the satellite orbit as an energy frontier.

Winners
Yusuke Kishida (2nd year, Master's course, Major in Mechanical Engineering)
Miki Kaneko (1st year, Master's course, Major in Mechanical Engineering)
Munetsugu Higashikawa (1st year, Master's course, Major in Mechanical Engineering)

Contest Name
International Space Solar Power Student Competition 2022

Period
April 30 - September 22, 2022

Date of Award
November 14, 2022

Location
Semifinals: Hyatt Regency Crystal City, Arlington, Virginia,U.S.A. (online participation)
Final: Paris Convention Centre, Paris, France

Name of Award
Runner-up

Title of Awarded Paper
Feasibility study of a large-scale WPT system formed by a modular structure

Remarks
International Space Solar Power Student Project Competition

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