About the SPS
A Solar Power Satellite (SPS) is above the Earth’s atmosphere and can be positioned so that it received constant direct sunlight. Hence, the SPS catches large amount of energy flowing from the Sun. It then pumps the energy to Earth via laser or microwave beam. “On earth it would be converted to electricity and fed into power grids to be tapped by terrestrial customers.”[1]
“The thought of beaming energy to Earth via satellite was first brought to light in the late 1960s by Peter Glaser, a technologist at
Arthur D. Little in Cambridge, Massachusetts.” [1]
The SPS was designed with sets of lightweight, inflatable fresnel reflectors. These devices focus the Sun's energy on small arrays of high-efficiency photovoltaic cells.
Reference
[1] Leonard David, 2001, October 17, Bright Future for Solar Power Satellites, [online], (Information on edition not available), Imaginova Corp., http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technology/solar_power_sats_011017-1.html
[Accessed 25 Feb 2008]
2) Image 1: http://www.space.com/php/multimedia/imagedisplay/img_display.php?pic=h_boeing_sps_02.
jpg&cap=Initial%20conceptual%20looks%20at%20building%20power%20beaming%20satellites%
20blueprinted%20a%20mega-engineering%20project%20as%20shown%20in%20this%20Boeing%
20design.%20New%20technologies%20point%20to%20more%20efficient,%20less%20expensive%
20space%20solar%20power%20systems.%20Credit:%20Boeing/Space%20Studies%20Institute
2) Image 2: http://grin.hq.nasa.gov/IMAGES/SMALL/GPN-2003-00108.jpg
Researched by: Wai Tiem
Compiled by: Wai Tiem
Posted by: Wai Tiem