Building Space Based Solar Panels

Space based solar power sbsp is the concept of collecting solar power in outer space and distributing it to earth potential advantages of collecting solar energy in space include a higher collection rate and a longer collection period due to the lack of a diffusing atmosphere and the possibility of placing a solar collector in an orbiting location where there is no night.

Building space based solar panels.

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. Power for spacecraft propulsion electric propulsion sometimes called solar electric propulsion. For both uses a key figure of merit of the solar panels is the specific power watts generated divided by solar array mass which indicates on a relative basis how much. Science fiction writer isaac asimov is credited with bringing the idea of space based solar power projects to prominence in 1941.

It is hard to imagine accomplishing a factor of 100 reduction in launch costs. Space stations and satellites already use solar panel arrays for. In fact this technology was mentioned way back in 1941 in the science fiction story reason written by isaac asimov. 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.

In 1999 nasa initiated a 22 million study investigating the feasibility of space based solar power. The two most commonly discussed designs for sbsp are a large deeper space microwave transmitting satellite and a smaller nearer laser transmitting. 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.

Solar panels on spacecraft supply power for two main uses. On earth power receiving stations collect the beam and add it to the electric grid. These panels convert solar power into either a microwave or a laser and beam uninterrupted power down to earth.