Tapping Solar Power in Space

In this final episode of our four-part series with SCHOTT, we explore the lesser-known capabilities of glass materials and why they deserve a closer look from engineers.Tina Gallo and Zach Wimmer return to share how SCHOTT collaborates with engineers across industries, guiding ma ... Show More

In this episode, we speak with Zach Wimmer, Director of Applications Engineering at SCHOTT, about a specialty glass-ceramic engineered to withstand continuous use at up to 1100°F and thermal shocks from temperatures as high as 1700°F. Listen in on how NEXTREMA® is helping enginee ... Show More

Aaron Wemhoff, professor of mechanical engineering at Villanova University, examines waste heat generated by data centers and posits that the situation is as much an opportunity as a challenge. 

Some solar mysteries, like the origin of the fast solar wind, can only be solved by getting up close and personal with the Sun. James Drake from the University of Maryland joins Planetary Radio this week to talk about the latest results from NASA's Parker Solar Probe as it soars ... Show More

It’s the highest-intensity solar power you can get. It’s available 24/7. And you can send it anywhere on earth.All you need to do is launch a ten-by-ten kilometer array of solar panels into geosynchronous orbit, capture solar energy, and beam it to earth using a massive antenna a ... Show More

Modern life runs on wireless technology. What if the energy powering our devices could also be transmitted without wires? This week we are revisiting a talk by electrical engineer Ali Hajimiri, where he explains the principles behind wireless energy transfer and shares his far-ou ... Show More

Modern life runs on wireless technology. What if the energy powering our devices could also be transmitted without wires? Electrical engineer Ali Hajimiri explains the principles behind wireless energy transfer and shares his far-out vision for launching flexible solar panels int ... Show More

Stretching over roughly nine million square kilometers and with sands reaching temperatures of up to 80° Celsius, the Sahara Desert receives about 22 million terawatt hours of energy from the Sun every year. That's well over 100 times more energy than humanity consumes annually. ... Show More

The European Space Agency is exploring a unique way to dramatically cut carbon emissions by tapping sunlight closer to the source.