Harnessing solar power from space

It’s hard to wrap your head around, but a joint venture between British and Icelandic companies is developing a space-based solar power plant that they hope can deliver enough electricity to power up to 3,000 homes back on Earth. The project will use satellites to collect sunlight in space through solar panels and then transmit it as radio waves to a ground station, where it will be converted into electricity for the grid. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Cal Tech’s Ali Hajimiri, Bren Professor of Electrical Engineering and Medical Engineering and co-Director of CalTech’s Space-Based Solar Power Project.