A Japanese Team Plans to Build a 6,800-Mile Solar Ring Belt on the Moon to Power the Earth 24/7
Daily Galaxy6 days
Japanese Firm Proposes 'Luna Ring' Moon-Based Solar Power System
Is the Luna Ring humanity's boldest clean energy breakthrough or an unachievable trillion-dollar fantasy?
Above: Concept of the "Luna Ring" proposed by Japanese construction firm Shimizu Corporation. Image credit: Aaron 泰山/X
The Spin
Techno-optimist narrative
The Luna Ring isn't just a dream — it's the boldest clean energy solution ever conceived, and the world needs to take it seriously. A solar belt around the Moon's equator could generate 13,000 terawatts, dwarfing all current global energy demand while producing zero emissions. Beaming power to Earth via microwave and laser means unlimited clean energy for every nation, forever ending dependence on fossil fuels.
Techno-skeptic narrative
The Luna Ring is a trillion-dollar fantasy that glosses over staggering real-world obstacles. Lunar dust, radiation exposure, precision energy transmission across 384,000 km and decades of maintenance make this project an engineering nightmare with no clear funding path. Until robotics, international law and space infrastructure catch up, treating this concept as a near-term energy solution is dangerously misleading.
Metaculus Prediction
The Controversies
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© 2026 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 6.18.0
© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.
All rights reserved.
Version 6.18.0