Space Based Solar Power Satellite

It is hard to imagine accomplishing a factor of 100 reduction in launch costs.

Space based solar power satellite. Space based solar power satellites sps are large structures in space that convert solar energy captured as solar irradiation into a form of energy that is transmitted wirelessly wpt to any remote receiver station. Peter glaser a vice president at arthur d. In 1999 nasa initiated a 22 million study investigating the feasibility of space based solar power. Space based solar power attracted considerable attention in the 1970s as the necessary individual technical components in essence photovoltaic cells satellite technology and wireless power.

Little invented the solar power satellite in 1968. These panels convert solar power into either a microwave or a laser and beam uninterrupted power down to earth. Iecl s chief engineer ian cash presented the cassiopeia solar power satellite design which has been hailed as a substantial conceptual breakthrough to the national space society s international space development conference held in los angeles in may 2018 isdc 2018 was attended by space professionals and leading industry names including buzz aldrin and jeff bezos. This receiver could either be on earth or on a high altitude platform aircraft other spacecraft or even on the surface of.

Self assembling satellites are launched into space along with reflectors and a microwave or laser power transmitter. Nuclear fossil and solar energy are the most talked about according to mankins but he believes that space based solar power is the best solution. Today the technology. Reflectors or inflatable mirrors spread over a vast swath of space directing solar radiation onto solar panels.

Over the decades the novel technology glaser envisioned has been known by many names space based solar power sbsp solar power satellites or satellite power system sps as well as. Space based solar power sbsp is the concept of collecting solar power in outer space and distributing it to earth potential advantages of collecting solar energy in space include a higher collection rate and a longer collection period due to the lack of a diffusing atmosphere and the possibility of placing a solar collector in an orbiting location where there is no night. The patent for that satellite was received in 1973. Among their conclusions was that launch costs would need to come down to 100 200 per kg to make space based solar power economically competitive.