Japan is charting a new frontier in space-based renewable energy with an audacious proposal from Shimizu Corporation: an 11,000‑kilometer solar belt wrapped around the Moon’s equator. The concept, known as the Luna Ring, envisions harvesting uninterrupted sunlight from the lunar surface and transmitting vast amounts of clean energy back to Earth through high‑precision microwave and laser systems.
Engineers estimate that the system could one day deliver up to 13,000 terawatts of power, a scale far beyond any terrestrial renewable source. Because the Moon has no atmosphere, no clouds, and no night cycle along its equator, the Luna Ring would capture solar energy continuously—an advantage impossible to replicate on Earth.
The project’s construction blueprint relies heavily on AI‑guided robotics, autonomous assembly systems, and lunar‑based manufacturing, reducing the need for human labor in the harsh lunar environment. Early pilot demonstrations are expected to precede full‑scale development, with Shimizu projecting that major construction could begin around 2035.
If realized, the Luna Ring would mark one of humanity’s most ambitious engineering achievements—transforming the Moon into a giant clean‑energy station and redefining what is possible in both astronomy and sustainable technology.
Source: Science And Astronomy
