National Space Society Will Pitch Space-based Solar Power To G8 Nations

[bananas]

Source: Clean Technica

India and the US-based National Space Society have finally announced the launch of a space-based solar power initiative that plans to market the idea of economically (and certainly technically) viable space-based solar power infrastructure to government leaders around the world.

India’s renowned space and missile technology expert, and former Indian President, Dr APJ Adbul Kalam and the NSS started discussions on this out-of-the-world venture in November 2010 just before President Obama’s maiden visit to India.

These discussions were prompted by a study by the Institute of Defense Studies and Analyses, an Indian Defense Ministry think tank. The study was conducted by Peter Garretson, a US Air Force lieutenant colonel. Gerrestson urged the Indian and American governments to work together to make space-based solar power generation a commercially viable business by 2025.

Gerrestson was able to propose such an ambitious plan only after the US administration lifted technology sharing restrictions from Indian agencies like the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). The study proposed three stages for the implementation of the space-based solar program.

Expanding on the three-stage plan, Garretson says an initial five-year $10-30 million programme will develop contributing technologies and build a competent work force culminating in a roadmap for a demonstration prototype.

A second, $10 billion, 10-year phase will see the formation of an international consortium to construct a sub-scale space solar power system that can directly be scaled up by industry. The final stage will entail India-US leadership to set up an international for-profit consortium along the lines of the INTELSAT model to address energy security and carbon mitigation concerns.

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Read more: http://cleantechnica.com/2013/06/18/national-space-society-will-pitch-space-based-solar-power-to-g8-nations/

[msongs]

1. billionaires want to control solar. umm no -> rooftop solar for every suitable building instead nt

[LongTomH]

14. I fully support both space-based solar and rooftop solar!

I was a member of the L-5 Society and its successor, the National Space Society. I've been to Washington for the "March Storm" citizen's lobbying effort by the ProSpace Foundation. Space based solar was one of the ideas we talked up in congressional offices.

I also talk up Germany's successes with rooftop solar every chance I get.

[Benton D Struckcheon]

2. Sim City Release 2? Or was it 3? n/t

[penultimate]

13. SC2000 and SC3

I don't think SC4 or the new one has microwave plants in them.

[Posteritatis]

3. And now we'll have a flood of comments from people who think Simcity's a documentary.. (nt)

[penultimate]

12. Damn-it... I was going to comment about how this is a bad idea

because I remember playing Simcity and having my city burn to the ground because of this technology.

[phantom power]

4. I can never see how pushing it up the gravity is cost effective relative to ground-based.

Pushing things up the gravity well costs a pantload of money.

[NaturalHigh]

5. As I understand it...

the Earth's atmosphere blocks out most solar power. Moving stations outside the atmosphere would allow it to be captured efficiently. The technology has been discussed for at least forty years, but I'm not up to date on it any more.

[Katashi_itto]

7. No, it's beamed down as microwave radiation. Someplace like death valley

Rectennas convert the microwave to electricity.

The Microwave is a large dispersed signal, not focused, so its not dangerous, although you dont want to stay in the target area

[Posteritatis]

10. That's pretty close, yeah

You'd still be losing quite a bit to the atmosphere when beaming it down, but you'd be losing quite a bit of a tremendously larger potential pool so it would theoretically more than even out once the infrastructure is in place.

[bananas]

8. Launch costs can be reduced a lot

http://www.space.com/21386-spacex-reusable-rockets-cost.html

SpaceX Chief Says Reusable First Stage Will Slash Launch Costs
Peter B. de Selding, Space News
Date: 31 May 2013 Time: 02:15 PM ET

<snip>

Musk reiterated the origin of the SpaceX production model, saying fuel is only 0.3 percent of the total cost of a rocket, with construction materials accounting for no more than 2 percent of the total cost, which for the Falcon 9 is about $60 million.

Given that the rocket's constituent materials are such a small part of the total vehicle cost, he said: "Clearly people were doing something silly in how they put those materials together. By eliminating those foolish things, we were able to make a rocket for much less."

Musk said that a rocket's first stage accounts for three-quarters of its total price tag, so a vehicle with a reusable first stage can be produced at far less cost — assuming the hardware is fully and rapidly reusable.

<snip>

[bananas]

9. You're mostly pushing up sheets of thin film

Either thin-film photovoltaics, or thin reflective material to use as concentrating mirrors, or thin fresnel lenses to use as concentrating lenses.

In space, the structure doesn't have to support itself against gravity, high winds, rain/sleet/snow, etc,
so it can be much lighter than on earth.

[Katashi_itto]

6. FINALLY!!!!

[ChazInAz]

11. At last.

Time to brush off the old L-5 plans.

[Myrina]

15. Finally a way for the MIC to pivot away from building bombs and shit to doing something useful?

If there's money in it for them, they'll be on it like a tick.
Might be the only hope we have left to end the "Endless War" ....