Building Space Based Solar Panels

Power for spacecraft propulsion electric propulsion sometimes called solar electric propulsion.

Building space based solar panels.

Solar panels on spacecraft supply power for two main uses. China is planning to build the world s first solar power station in space to provide inexhaustible clean energy according to a story in science and technology daily the official newspaper of. Power to run the sensors active heating cooling and telemetry. In fact this technology was mentioned way back in 1941 in the science fiction story reason written by isaac asimov.

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. It is hard to imagine accomplishing a factor of 100 reduction in launch costs. These panels convert solar power into either a microwave or a laser and beam uninterrupted power down to earth. Space stations and satellites already use solar panel arrays for.

On earth power receiving stations collect the beam and add it to the electric grid. Mankins and others estimate the total cost for developing building launching and assembling all the components of a space based solar power plant is on the order of 4 to 5 billion a fraction. 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. Apart from providing around the clock power on demand beamed from space the new solar cells panels and production processes being developed through the program could revolutionize space based.

The two most commonly discussed designs for sbsp are a large deeper space microwave transmitting satellite and a smaller nearer laser transmitting. Science fiction writer isaac asimov is credited with bringing the idea of space based solar power projects to prominence in 1941. The concept of space based solar power is not new.