A poetic meditation on existence

electricpower:

wearetheearth:

electricpower:

ridethecollapsingwavefunction:

sofapizza:

laughinacorner:

TELL EVERYBODY ABOUT THIS.

this seems like something we should have been doing years ago.

About Space Solar Power (SSP, also known as Space-Based Solar Power, or SBSP):

The United States and the world need to find new sources of clean energy. Space Solar Power gathers energy from sunlight in space and transmits it wirelessly to Earth. Space solar power can solve our energy and greenhouse gas emissions problems. Not just help, not just take a step in the right direction, but solve. Space solar power can provide large quantities of energy to each and every person on Earth with very little environmental impact.

The solar energy available in space is literally billions of times greater than we use today. The lifetime of the sun is an estimated 4-5 billion years, making space solar power a truly long-term energy solution. As Earth receives only one part in 2.3 billion of the Sun’s output, space solar power is by far the largest potential energy source available, dwarfing all others combined. Solar energy is routinely used on nearly all spacecraft today. This technology on a larger scale, combined with already demonstrated wireless power transmission (see 2-minute video of demo), can supply nearly all the electrical needs of our planet.

Space Solar

Interesting concept. The wireless power transfer would have to be examined closer to check for its potential large-scale impact on communications and similar systems. Also, large-scale implementation would be extremely draining on a number of other resources, namely silicon and the rare metals used to create these devices … as with anything, a full examination of the costs/benefits would be necessary, but I certainly like the direction this idea is headed.

There is wireless microwave transmissions, laser beams, and an actual space elevator idea going around with a number of different teams working on them currently.  There is already a competition to design and build a space elevator.  One team is developing carbon nanotube technology in hopes that its light weight and strength would make for an excellent material for the elevator cable.  Another is actually working on the elevator itself and already have met the competition goal of a certain rate of climb.  This competition could easily then build solar arrays at the top of the elevators and use power lines inside the cables.  

By using space solar there is a higher efficiency in space since there is no atmosphere to block the em waves.  Also its 24/7 as the photo says.   

One problem that arises when these are built is the question of who controls them.  In an anime series, Mobile Suit Gundam 00 , three space elevators are built and fighting ensues over the distribution of this power.  I have not watched the whole series but I am a huge fan of both alternative power and giant mechas, esp together.  If space elevators lead to mobile suits then I am all for them.

Links:

Spaceelevatorblog.com

spaceelevator.com

wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_Suit_Gundam_00

youtube.com - Gundam 00

As long as something is sellable, people will try to sell it, then other people will try to steal it and sell it for cheaper. I don’t really see why space power would be any different. The only space agencies with the initial means to build such a system would be the same ones who run the ISS (NASA, ESA, RKA, JAXA and CSA) and I doubt they’d go to all that trouble just to give free energy to third world countries. Also, I think people are forgetting the sheer amount of fossil fuel it takes to launch a satellite into space, and you’d need quite a lot of these orbiting power stations to even make a dent in world energy consumption. That said, it’s a fascinating idea and the issues it talks about are very real and very important.