MAIN ARTICLE: Space Solar Power crowd betting on Obama!
What does microwaves, solar panels, and satellites in space have in common? Advocates for Space Based Solar Power (SBSP) would like to tell you. Story begins after the fold.
Poll Results: A very strong turnout for yesterday's poll relating to the NASA budget. Scroll down for the latest in space, click subscribe to keep informed.
Star Trek: In the News. Lawrence Krauss, a theoretical physicist from Arizona State University, wrote an international best seller "The Physics of Star Trek." He is now in the classroom.
Yesterday's Comments: "Who would ever have thought That the cost of the entire space program would look small in comparison to Wall St bonuses?" - LaFeminista
Today's Poll: Space Based Solar Power and You.
Once again the subject of Space Based Solar Power (see "Solar Energy: Which State do you want to cover?", 'Americans in Space', Nov 25, 2008) made some headlines. As Space.Com reported:
Space Solar Power Crowd Bets on Obama
"WASHINGTON - Advocates of using satellites to beam solar power from space to Earth hope U.S. President Barack Obama's campaign promise to develop alternative energy sources will help resurrect NASA's interest in the technology.
NASA has been without an official space solar power program since 2002, although a coalition of government and private industry volunteers has kept alive visions of demonstrating how the United States might one day draw energy from the sun and transmit it to Earth via microwave beams.
The volunteers were disappointed in December upon learning that NASA would not provide $55 million they had asked for to conduct a solar power beaming experiment they had devised for the International Space Station. The experiment's designers are hoping it will get another look by the Obama administration.
The experiment entails placing a system that includes traveling wave tube amplifiers, which amplify radio frequency signals, outside the space station on the Japanese Experiment Module's Exposed Facility. The amplifiers, donated by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, would be moved to another location on the space station to draw power from the station's solar arrays and beam them to Earth in microwave form"
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HOW DOES IT WORK:
Below is a short video (1:02) that shows the basic system operating from space and the ground station receiver for the microwave transmission.
Well it looks good in theory but how about as a practical solution, is it even possible? Ex NASA employee and physicist, John Mankins, seems to think so, and for good reason. Mankins has already done it! Last year in Hawai'i, he tested a system for accomplishing a part of that very goal:
Researchers Beam 'Space' Solar Power in Hawaii
"Mankins captured solar energy from a mountain top in Maui and beamed it 92 miles to the main island of Hawaii.
Tonight at 10 pm Discovery Channel will air an episode of Project Earth on the recent first-of-its-kind experiment. This long range demonstration of wireless power transmission was also a key step toward space-based solar power satellites. The team also beamed the power almost 100 times farther than NASA's major 1970's power transmission in the Mojave Desert in California.
Although the amount of power sent, 20 watts, is barely enough to power a small compact fluorescent light bulb, and most of it was lost in transmission, the system was limited by the budget not the physics. If they had been able to afford more solar panels, more phased array transmitters and a better receivers (the one they had could only receive in the horizontal direction), Mankins claims they could do much better-- possibly up to 64% efficiency."
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EARTH BASED v.s. SPACE BASED:
The image below depicts a space satellite beaming power down. The bottom of the image shows a comparison of a space based square meter of solar panel (on the far left bottom) and how much larger the ground based solar panel (shown in green) would have to be in order to collect the same amount of energy.
SOLAR POWER FOR EVERYONE:
Before anyone starts in on how this is only being advocated by a fringe group of tree huggers, better look around. The United States Military has also weighed in on the issue and has already conducted studies on how this could be used to help the modern warfighter. The National Security Space Office issued a 75 page report, "Space‐Based Solar Power As an Opportunity for Strategic Security" (PDF)
"Preventing resource conflicts in the face of increasing global populations and demands in the 21st century is a high priority for the Department of Defense. All solution options to these challenges should be explored, including opportunities from space.
In March 2007, the National Security Space Office’s Advanced Concepts Office presented the idea of space‐based solar power (SBSP) as a potential grand opportunity to address not only energy security, but environmental, economic, intellectual, and space security as well. First proposed in the late 1960’s, the concept was last explored in the NASA’s 1997 "Fresh Look" Study. In the decade since this last study, advances in technology and new challenges to security have warranted a current exploration of the strategic implications of SBSP. For these reasons, my office sponsored a no‐cost Phase 0 Architecture Feasibility Study of SBSP during the Spring and Summer of 2007.
Unlike traditional contracted architecture studies, the attached report was compiled through an innovative and collaborative approach that relied heavily upon voluntary internet discussions by more than 170 academic, scientific, technical, legal, and business experts around the world. I applaud the high quality of work accomplished by the team leaders and all participants who contributed in the last six months. I encourage them to continue their work in earnest as they move beyond this interim report and seek to answer the question of whether SBSP can be developed and deployed within the first half of this century to provide affordable, clean, safe, reliable, sustainable and expandable energy for mankind"
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TURNING ADVOCACY INTO ACTION:
It is one thing to advocate for a change in oourse, quite another to put that into action. Ferris Valyn covered some of the new changes (see "Space at change.gov", Dec 10, 2008) we are already seeing with the new Obama Administration.
The Nation will still have to play the 'wait and see' game before we learn in what direction the Obama Administration will move America's space priorities. The funding increase was a good start but NASA's budget will still be flat in last year of Obama's Presidency. President Obama is still commiting America to a return to the moon by 2020 but there is still a lot of speculation about which launch system will used.
POLL RESULTS:
Yesterday's poll: "Should President Obama add another 1.3 bil to NASA's Budget?", had a very strong turnout of DKOS members. The result was a very strong (64%) yes vote to increase NASA funding to help close the up coming launch gap. Only 19% thought the $700 million increase was enough to carry out it's mandate. Eleven percent voiced no opinion on the subject.
STAR TREK: In the News.
'Star Trek' angle makes entertaining learning
"HAMMOND — About 200 people launched into warp speed recently at Purdue Calumet University, exploring physics through the popular "Star Trek" television show and movies.
Their "voyage" on the Starship Enterprise whizzed them past galaxies, led by professor Lawrence Krauss, a theoretical physicist from Arizona State University and author of the international best seller "The Physics of Star Trek."
Krauss captivated the audience with an entertaining lecture and film footage that covered topics from time travel to extraterrestrial beings. Krauss offered something for everyone, from devout Trekkies to those simply interested in science."
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YESTERDAY'S COMMENTS:
"I hope this will Finally convince a few people that
- Obama is going to support human spaceflight
- Supporting human spaceflight is not necessarily a bad idea." - Ferris Valyn
"Regarding the budget America has to decide if it wants to be a space-faring nation or not. And, if so, it needs to come up with the money.
The Space Buff http://www.thespacebuff.com " - Rayk
"NASA Needs funding To create a global detection system for Near Earth Objects that could potentially hit us. That would be one of my big priorities." - Unlabled
"More important is future years funding adding a whack of money for 2009 is probably not greatly useful unless the profile is known over the next five years say." - Joffan
TODAY'S POLL:
Space Based Solar Power and You.
Where are you on the issue? Fully fund, fund a little, wait and see or forget about it altogether. Vote your opinion today.
Read other NASA and Space diaries on DKOS.