About the project
Project Elara (meaning1 "hope") is a grassroots organization dedicated to space-based energy technologies. We are scientists and engineers dedicated to open-sourcing science, and we believe that space-based energy technology, done right, can usher in a peaceful, hopeful future.
Our vision
On Earth, we are depleting the Earth's natural resources every moment to power our civilization, resources that will be exhausted one day. Space-based solar power systems offer a solution: harvesting near-unlimited solar energy from space, where there is perpetual sunlight, and beaming it back to Earth. This technology has the potential to transform the world: providing a secure, reliable source of energy that can power the world for thousands, if not tens of thousands of years. But to date, these designs are typically proprietary and commercial in nature, which could easily be exploited financially or politically, worsening power scarcity and inequality around the world.
Project Elara works on developing a 100% open-source space-based solar power system that can capture and transmit energy from the Sun in space. We work on our technology exclusively to benefit the world: improving access to power and internet to remote and underdeveloped regions; reducing dependence on unsustainable energy sources; and providing off-grid power to save lives in warzones, regions affected by natural disasters, and rescue operations.
We promise to never charge more for the energy we aim to provide than the bare minimum necessary to cover our operating costs - and, if it becomes possible, to eventually offer it for free. We want energy, a resource so indispensible to human life, to be a universal guarantee for all humanity. We want an end to resource conflicts and to be neutral providers of energy, dedicated to serving not just one particular group or country, but our entire human civilization.
Our commitment
We are a not-for-profit organization, and we are committed to making all our research and technology public (including all source code + hardware), auditable, and long-lasting enough to provide for countless generations to come. We release the majority of our work to the public domain to make sure it can never be copyrighted or patented, and will always belong solely to the public at large.
Rather than competing with other technologies, we want to be part of a sustainable energy grid built to serve all people. We believe that space-based solar power, in association with a diversity of renewable power sources like hydropower, nuclear fusion, bioenergy, and wind power creates a resilient energy future, by preventing over-reliance on any one energy source.
We will never seek to profiteer off our technology in any way, and we are dedicated to ensuring that, as far as possible, our technology serves the poorest and most disadvantaged members of society first. We take our Charter very, very seriously and aspire to keep to our promises, no matter what. We want to pass on a better world to our children, rather than destroying the world by weaponizing space-based energy technology or exacerbating societal inequality by keeping it behind closed doors.
We are taking slow, incremental steps towards building a functioning space power system. We know it will be a long and difficult journey, but we are passionate about this technology and want to be part of making it possible. We hope to be good stewards of our work, so that if it becomes realized, it would be a gift to our future generations, and a lasting symbol of hope & peace.
"Our greatest responsibility is to be good ancestors." - Jonas Salk
Learn more
Want to hear more about us? You might want to check out our YouTube channel, or our newsletter, where we send articles about all things Elara!
1. This is a constructed word, more on this in the Project's about page. Back ↩