As a fan of Professor Neal deGrasse Tyson, I’m always on the lookout for ways in which space exploration can impact our earthbound endeavors. We are all aware of the continued influence the NASA space program has had on technological innovation in the US and worldwide, and now you can add extraterrestrial energy to the mix.
According to an online report by Leonard David, some day a significant portion of our power could be generated by solar powered satellites. The SPS-ALPHA project (that’s short for Solar Power Satellite via Arbitrarily Large PHased Array) debuted during the 2012 NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts meeting last month after being previously selected for a NASA NIAC award last August.
David outlines the basics of the project as “the construction of huge platforms from tens of thousands of small elements that can deliver remotely and affordably tens to thousands of megawatts using wireless power transmission to markets on Earth, as well as missions in space. The Earth-pointing side of this large modular circular array is tiled with a collection of microwave-power transmission panels that generate the coherent, low-intensity beam of radio frequency energy and transmits that energy to Earth.”
Although the idea of “power-beaming solar-power satellites” is not entirely new, the SPS-ALPHA does have some advantages over past project, including significantly lower costs. For example, without the need for a large integrated power management and distribution system, the projected price of the platform is significantly less expensive. Additionally, the ability to assemble individual system elements that weigh no more than 110 to 440 pounds (50 to 200 kilograms), allowing all pieces to be mass-produced, will also dramatically lower implementation expenditures.
So, what do you think? Could space prove to be a viable energy frontier? Should we be funnel more R&D funds to projects similar to this one? And even if this project is never implemented, shouldn’t we be aspiring to let our reach exceed our grasp when it comes to energy policy and clean tech innovation?
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April 12th, 2012
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