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Posted on 11/15/2011 11:04:23 AM PST by bananaman22
A solar power station in space measuring several kilometres in length may sound like something from a science fiction film, but the reality is that this idea could well be operational and supplying much of the worlds energy requirements within less than 20 years.
Space based solar power stations are not a new idea, in fact they have been researched since the 1970’s.
Back in 2009 the Californian state regulators granted approval to the Pacific Gas & Electric Co. and Solaren Corp. to start creating a solar based power plant in space. Solaren, founded by veterans of Hughes Aircraft, Boeing and Lockheed, plans to deploy a free-floating inflatable Mylar mirror one kilometre (0.62 miles) in diameter in 2016. This will collect and concentrate sunlight on a smaller mirror that in turn will focus the rays on photovoltaic modules, according to the company’s patent.
The Japanese government is also planning a space based solar power station, scheduled to be operational in 2030. Not to be outdone, Europe’s largest space company EADS Astrium, hopes to develop infrared lasers capable of transmitting the energy from these space stations to earth based receiver stations by 2020.
There are many attractions to creating spaced based power stations;
• Higher collection rate: In space the radiation of solar energy is unaffected by the filtering effects of the ozone. Consequently, the level of solar radiation, and therefore energy, available is approximately 144% of that attainable on the Earth's surface. Source: Energy of the Future: Spaced Based Solar Stations
144% doesn’t seem that big of a boost compared to the costs of dealing with objects in space
sounds like a possible boondoggle to me
now, if it was 1440%...
I would expect the global warming crowd to fight against bringing more heat to the surface.
If they’re not careful, they’re gonna put someones eye out with that thing....
God did this awhile back...
We now call it EARTH!!!
Somewhere in this evaluation, shouldn’t there be an equation:
A=Total Energy In
B=Total Energy Out
Where B > A
????
An orbital solar energy device was a plot device in the 1980s GI Joe episode. It melted equipment really well.
I’ve been hearing about this one for decades. So, no one is going to object to a high-energy laser aimed at the Earth? How do we keep birds and, for that matter, aircraft from going “poof”?
LOL With what US space agency? NASA? oh, wait...
Regardless of what the Luddites may think, we cannot turn our back on the high frontier. Either the USA will control space or we will be controlled from space.
What happened to “eCat”? Right here on the surface.
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