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How space-based solar power

will solve all our energy

needs?

Humanity's demand for energy is growing at an astonishing rate. Combine this

 with an ever-dwindling supply of fossil fuels, and it becomes painfully clear

that something innovative and powerful  is required. There's one high-tech

proposal that holds tremendous promise — an idea that has been around sincethe late !"#s. Here's how space-based solar power will eventually solve all

our energy needs.

Humans needs more power 

 $ssuming that economic progress and globali%ation continues at its current

pace, we'll need to produce twice the amount of energy that's consumed today

 by the #s — what will reach a monumental & trillion (ilo)att hours per

 year. $nd by the end of the century, we'll need four times the current rate of

consumption.

http://io9.com/5963955/how-space-based-solar-power-will-solve-all-our-energy-needs#_ga=1.4636467.1432297244.1457421291http://io9.com/5963955/how-space-based-solar-power-will-solve-all-our-energy-needs#_ga=1.4636467.1432297244.1457421291http://io9.com/5963955/how-space-based-solar-power-will-solve-all-our-energy-needs#_ga=1.4636467.1432297244.1457421291http://io9.com/5963955/how-space-based-solar-power-will-solve-all-our-energy-needs#_ga=1.4636467.1432297244.1457421291http://io9.com/5963955/how-space-based-solar-power-will-solve-all-our-energy-needs#_ga=1.4636467.1432297244.1457421291http://io9.com/5963955/how-space-based-solar-power-will-solve-all-our-energy-needs#_ga=1.4636467.1432297244.1457421291

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*ust as importantly, we're also going to have to (ic( the fossil fuel habit — and

not only because it'll eventually run out. +ising C& emissions are wrea(ing

havoc on the arth's atmosphere, what's creating environmentally deleterious

side-effects at a rate faster than epected.

/oreover, if greenhouse gases are to be brought under control over the course

of the net several decades, we'll need to get upwards of !#0 of all our energy

from either renewable or nuclear sources.

 )hile there are a number of proposals on the table for how we might be able

to meet these challenges, none really appear to be truly viable.

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cept for solar powered satellites.

Obvious benefits

 $ closer loo( at a space-based solution yields a lengthy list of advantages.

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1olar powered satellites don't produce any greenhouse gases, nor do they ta(e

up valuable real estate on arth. nce the initial costs are met, they would be

relatively cheap to maintain2 the solar modules used for generating solar

energy have a long service life, not to mention the astounding +3 that would

come from a virtually unlimited energy source.

 $dditionally, they're not constrained by night4day cycles, the weather, or the

changing seasons. $nd indeed, they would be much more efficient than any

(ind of ground-based station. The collection of solar energy in space is seven

times greater per unit area than on the surface of the planet. /oreover, the

amount of solar energy available up there is staggering — on the order of

 billions of times greater than what we draw today2 the arth receives only one

part in &. billion of the 1un's output. The potential for scalability is

enormous, to say the least.

1olar powered satellites won't be prone to terrorist attac(s and they'll reduce

geopolitical pressure for oil. $ccording to futurist 5eith Henson, space-based

solar could be used to power vehicles, li(e electric cars, or by enabling the

production of synthetic fuels — which at a penny per (ilo)att hour would

result in gasoline that costs one dollar a gallon.

 $t the same time, space-based solar would provide true energy independence

for those nations who choose to implement it. $nd on top of that, the energy

could be eported to virtually anywhere in the world2 it would be especially

 valuable for isolated areas of the globe, including $frica and 3ndia.

6astly, space-based solar power would also yield tremendous benefits to

human and robotic space eploration, including the powering of off-planet

colonies on the /oon, /ars, and space stations. 3t could also serve as the first

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seed in the development of a 7yson 1phere — a massive array of solar

collectors that would completely envelope the sun at a distance of about $8.

How it's going to work

9ac( in the late !"#s, :eter ;laser proposed the idea of solar powered

satellites

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 ):T concept, involving self-assembling solar power-laser-thermal modules.

ther designs call for an etremely modular microwave ):T 1:1 >sandwich

structure> concept, requiring a significant number of small solar power-

microwave-thermal modules that would be robotically assembled on orbit.

9ut to ma(e it happen, we'll need to develop low-cost, environmentally-

friendly launch vehicles. ventually we'll send the materials up in a space

elevator, but until then we'll have to come up with something more efficient.

Than(fully, 1pace? and other private firms are already wor(ing on more

efficient launch solutions.

 $dditionally, we'll require large scale construction and operations stations in

orbit — space-based wor(places that would be more comple, larger, and more

energy-demanding than the 311. They would allow for the production of large,

simple panels, that are easy to assemble and consist of many identical parts.

ventually, it may be possible to construct an entire flotilla of these solar

collectors using materials etracted from asteroids.

Design proposals

 $s word gets out about the potential for 1:1, and as the technology catches up

to the idea, a number of design proposals have been put forth2 this isn't @ust

idle speculation anymore — it's something that's @ust about ready for prime-

time.

http://spacex.com/http://spacex.com/

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Aor eample, there's 1:1-$6:H$  

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 $nd what's particularly cool about this concept is that it would enable the

construction of a solar-power satellite that can be assembled entirely from

individual system elements that weigh no more than # to # pounds

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idea has never been seen as something that's cost effective or technologically

feasible. These sentiments are changing, however.

6ast year, the 3nternational $cademy of $stronautics published an ehaustive

report lauding the benefits of space-based solar power, urging the

international community to ta(e the prospect seriously. The report contained

over a do%en recommendations on how to get started, while predicting that

space solar power will be technically feasible within # to years using

technologies that already exist .

The authors also noted that the pro@ect would be economically viable in the

net several decades, but under specific conditions having to do with future

http://iaaweb.org/iaa/Studies/sg311_finalreport_solarpower.pdfhttp://iaaweb.org/iaa/Studies/sg311_finalreport_solarpower.pdfhttp://iaaweb.org/iaa/Studies/sg311_finalreport_solarpower.pdfhttp://iaaweb.org/iaa/Studies/sg311_finalreport_solarpower.pdf

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energy mar(ets and the willingness of governments to get started