Europe is looking at space-based solar power to address energy crisis

[Admin]

The European Space Agency will ask its member states to fund a preparatory space-based solar power program at a major meeting later this year.

Europe is looking at space-based solar power to address energy crisis : Read more

 

[publiusr]

Solaren is looking at SLS block 2 for gigawatt class powersats…since Musk has no interest.

Gene Meyers has the most sound plan:

Broadcast 3801 Gene Meyers | The Space Show

www.thespaceshow.com

 

[steve_foston]

I know the UK is doing a similar feasibility study for its own purposes, if this works it will be a great advance. Once the technology has been proved perhaps it should also be possible to use the same approach on the Moon, Mars, Venus, etc. after all there is a big nuclear fusion reactor (Sun) out there and power is everything in space. Coupled with the recent announcement about using plasma technology to release oxygen from CO2 that will require a great deal of power perhaps it will be easier to extract what we need from the environment when we get there.

 

[AndyTake2]

Has anyone looked at the impact of these systems on the atmosphere?
If we have a high energy beam (or any kind) effectively aiming at one point on earth, does that not mean that some of the energy will be absorbed by the various layers of the atmosphere as it passes through?
Compared with the sun, the beam will be relatively low powered, but it will be concentrated. If things like ozone or other gases are excited or even destroyed/changed by the energy coming through, won't this have an effect on weather and even upper atmospheric changes? (just look at the aurora!)

 

[Unclear Engineer]

I expect that the wavelength of the microwave power transmission beam will be selected to have minimal absorption by the various components of the atmospheric. But, it would still be a day and night energy addition to not just the air, but also the ground in the area of the reception antenna. What this would do to things like the local annual cloud cover and rainfall probably aren't known, at this point.

 

[publiusr]

If in sun synchonus orbit…no shadow falls on Earth…but that could be a good sunshade