Neowin.net - NASA Spaces on Energy Solution

NASA Spaces on Energy Solution

Posted by malebolgia on 22 June 2004 - 14:35 · 16 comments & 1482 views

Scientists are working on a way to have satellites beam down solar energy to the Earth. In 2001 the United States abandoned this program, but still several nations have continued to work on it. These remaining nations will meet up again in Spain to discuss this project. Without the U.S. (NASA) can this project succeed? When NASA was involved with this project it brought the most funding and resources. Can this project be done in a timely manner without the leader in Space Technology?

Scientists from around the world will soon gather to discuss how satellites could be used to address the world's energy needs by relaying solar power to Earth. But the U.S. government's decision to abandon research in 2001 could prevent the alternative energy source from ever seeing the light of day.

Solar panels on Earth are inherently limited in their ability to collect energy by two things -- the lack of direct sun at night and atmospheric interference from weather. NASA's now-abandoned Space Solar Power program would avoid these terrestrial impediments by launching satellites that would collect solar radiation and beam the energy to Earth. These satellite systems could each provide gigawatts of electricity, enough power for tens of thousands of homes.

Interest in solar space power peaked in 2000, when NASA officials testified before the House Committee on Science that by 2006 test satellites could be wirelessly transmitting energy from space. After three years of studying the challenges and a favorable report from the National Research Council, in 2001 NASA requested and received new funding for the space solar power program. But later that year, NASA canceled the program (the website was last updated in August 2001) and withdrew the funding.

News source: Wired.com

New and improved features in version 5.0.590.043

Fixed Norton AV e-mail scanning issue
Fixed issue with SSH timout
Fixed installation issue with McAfee Security Center
Fixed system stability issues
Routine maintenance items
Security Suite only: Fixed compatibility issue with POPFile program
Security Suite only: Fixed compatibility issue with Apache Server

Hide additional information

About the Author
Full name: Unknown
Forum name: vet

malebolgia
Contact: via forum PM
Submissions: Normal · Headline

Total votes: 0

Bookmark on del.icio.us

Advertisement

#1 Posted by LPC on 22 Jun 2004 - 14:41: Yes it can work ... the good old US are good for a lot of things but not needed to make everything work !

#2 Posted by timelimit on 22 Jun 2004 - 14:47: yeah, i reckon the other countries will pull together and get this one going. dont be surprised if nasa jump back on board tho. How much would big electrical companies be willing to cough up for this low maintenace environmentally friendly energy source? quite a bit i reckon. Reminds me a bit of the anime movie "odin" they used similar panels to collect energy and then power spacecraft by letting them travel along the same line as the energy beam

(3 replies) #3 Posted by sentio on 22 Jun 2004 - 14:50: What was the US reasoning for abandoning the project? Anybody here know?

#4 Posted by John_M on 22 Jun 2004 - 15:02: Well, being a US citizen, I'm hoping we come around and get back into it. But NASA must have had good reasons for leaving in the first place, because the government has lately been squeezing the funds for space programs.

But I don't know for sure why they stopped being in it in the first place, we could have had something by now if NASA had stayed on. Hopefully they will go back.

John M

(1 reply) #5 Posted by nic on 22 Jun 2004 - 15:24: Who says it is going to be environmentaly friendly? "Beaming" energy to earth is going to have some consequences to our atmosphere. I'm not sure how this beaming will work (highly directed elecromagnetic waves perhaps?) but it is bound to have some effect. Even wind mills have some effect (by slowind down the wind, it is going to have some effect on the environment. Any more then a mountain though, probably not).

As long as it is better then what we have today.

I think NASA may be turning its energy and funding towards safety testing and really safety development for hydrogen fueled cars.

#6 Posted by Magallanes on 22 Jun 2004 - 15:30: Japan have the advantage : http://www.spacefuture.com/power/sps2000.shtml

Now, this project is highest profitable $$$$, but you doesn't need to focused in one country, you can give power to many countries. In fact, in the "night" you can give energy to China, in the "day" you can give energy to Canada.

So, if Japan have the advantage, then they can sell cheapest energy to USA, USA doesn't need to investigate it (not yet).

Think about it, 1 satelite put in orbit cost +2 billions dollars. This satellite can work for 10 years (or less). If in 10 years the satelite produce less that 2 billions dollars, then the project fail!.

#7 Posted by ryoujikaji on 22 Jun 2004 - 18:01: This kinda reminds me of Goldeneye or something where someone could control it, point it to a city and fry em

(1 reply) #8 Posted by Gary_Player on 22 Jun 2004 - 18:17

QUOTE

could prevent the alternative energy source from ever seeing the light of day.

I think that was an unintentional punn

Well we could REALLY use some good alternative energy sources. I remember back in like 6th grade reading about how they were planning on building this GIANT solar pannel in high orbit that would beam energy back to earth (somehow) the concept art was neat

#8.1 Posted by SIG on 22 Jun 2004 - 19:34: I've heard about that once as well. I remember reading it on a magazine a few years ago.

#9 Posted by Intelman on 22 Jun 2004 - 19:15: The US always drops out of things I wish we didn't. We dropped out of the Fusion plant thing (using plasma to create power) then we joined at again! The whole world needs to start spending money on things that help people, and not stupid things like weapons and a better way to kill people.

#10 Posted by Osiris on 23 Jun 2004 - 03:31: Ah I wouldnt be too worried, crises tends to get things rolling. Look at the emission of CFC's back in the early 1980s when the world learnt how drastically they were destroying the environment.

The world quickly banded together than, and internationally the fastest global environmental things thats ever happened was achieved. They even set up mass funds so 3rd world countries could remove CFCs from their productions and manufacturing.

I suspect when the energy crises looms we will see a plethora of money and technology being released unto the markets and the world. They know the crises is comming, thats why were starting to see Electric/petrol powered cars, and now the 'sky car' and even the talk of the hydrogen car is making a return. As well as fuel cell cars etc etc.

Whilst I agree it shouldnt take crises for this to come about, I suspect in comming yewars nations and big business will have no choice but to begin investing money into this kind of techology. Especially with the rate at which China is now consuming energy.

#11 Posted by Nodiaque on 23 Jun 2004 - 05:16: hmmm... maybe am I wrong but by redirecting sun beam directly to earth, wouldn't that had a side effect like raising the ambient temp??? If yes, isn't that already a problem right now, the increase of heat because of polution? Adding more heat source won't help solve the problem... Fight fire with fire doesn't work in all cases..

[1]

Commenting has either been disabled on this article or you are not logged in. Click here to login or register, its free!

Note: Anonymous commenting is disabled in order to keep the quality of responses to a high standard.

Scroll to the Top