Building Space Based Solar Panels

Solar panels on spacecraft supply power for two main uses.

Building space based solar panels.

It is hard to imagine accomplishing a factor of 100 reduction in launch costs. 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. These panels convert solar power into either a microwave or a laser and beam uninterrupted power down to earth.

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. Science fiction writer isaac asimov is credited with bringing the idea of space based solar power projects to prominence in 1941. On earth power receiving stations collect the beam and add it to the electric grid. 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.

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. Space stations and satellites already use solar panel arrays for. In 1999 nasa initiated a 22 million study investigating the feasibility of space based solar power. Power to run the sensors active heating cooling and telemetry.

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. The two most commonly discussed designs for sbsp are a large deeper space microwave transmitting satellite and a smaller nearer laser transmitting. 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.