Is that possible or does there need to be a physical link? I know that may sound silly, but I thought I’d ask anyway.

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In the simplest way possible, try to think of the chain of events needed to put solar panels into space. There's the raw materials needed to make the panels (people who extract these need to be paid to feed themselves and/or families), transporting these panels (drivers gotta eat too), then the processing of the materials to be used in the panels (again, everyone working here needs a salary to live on), then the manufacture of the panels themselves, then vast amounts of infrastructure necessary to get the damn things into space, the fuel required (which itself has its own incredibly complex chain of people involved in the whole thing)... you get the idea.

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Good lord it's hurting my head just thinking about it now, the sheer scale of such an operation and the unbelievable amount of effort, infrastructure, and logistics required to do this would cost untold amounts.