$21 Billion Orbiting Solar Array will Beam Electricity to Earth

[brentaal]

$21 Billion Orbiting Solar Array will Beam Electricity to Earth

(PhysOrg.com) -- The Japanese are preparing to develop a two trillion yen (approximately $21 billion USD) space solar project that will beam electricity from space in the form of microwaves or lasers to around 300,000 homes in Japan within three decades.

The project, to be undertaken by a research group from 16 companies including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd, aims to spend the next four years developing the technology needed to beam the electricity produced to earth. They expect that as fossil fuels run out, an orbiting solar power plant in space may be needed to provide a significant source of electricity in the future, according to the Kensuke Kanekiyo, from the Japanese Government's Institute of Energy Economics.

The planned solar station will produce 1 Gigawatt of electricity from its four km2 (approximately 2.5 square miles) array of solar panels, which is enough to power just under 300,000 Tokyo homes, at present usage levels. Since the array will be in orbit some 36,000 km (22,500 miles) above the earth's surface, it will be unaffected by weather conditions and will be able to generate power constantly.

The U.S. agency NASA has been investigating the possibilities of a space-based solar system for several decades and has spent around $80 million on the research. They and other government agencies estimate the cost of electricity supplied from an orbiting solar array could be around $1 billion per megawatt, which is too expensive to be commercially viable.

The Japanese realize the cost of building the solar station in orbit would be prohibitive at the moment, and the array could not be commercially viable at today's prices. The Japanese consortium therefore has to find ways of drastically reducing the costs. With the launch of a single rocket costing around 10 billion yen, the cost of the space solar station could be as high as two trillion yen, according to Koji Umehara, the Director of the Japanese Space Development and Utilization ministry, making the electricity supplied exorbitantly expensive.

The first step in bringing the plans to fruition will be the launch in around 2015 of a satellite fitted with solar panels that will beam electricity to earth.

JAXA, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency plans to have the orbiting space solar system operational some time in the 2030s.

More information: http://www.usef.or.jp/english/f3_project/ssps/f3_ssps.html

Source - PhysOrg.com

[+John. Subscriber¹]

Nice! I hope this gets approved and made. Hopefully Europe and the US can follow suit.

[Lant]

I always thought it was against international treaties to beam microwaves or high energy lasers from space, or to place anything that could in orbit, due to the fear that they could be used as weapons. Obviously I was wrong then.

As microwaves are being used, won't it just cause all the water in its path to evaporate, so what happens if a bird flies into the path of the microwave? Does it get cooked in mid flight?

[brentaal]

I always thought it was against international treaties to beam microwaves or high energy lasers from space, or to place anything that could in orbit, due to the fear that they could be used as weapons. Obviously I was wrong then.

I guess we'll have to shutdown the satellites in the geostationary orbit. :p

As microwaves are being used, won't it just cause all the water in its path to evaporate, so what happens if a bird flies into the path of the microwave? Does it get cooked in mid flight?

Microwaves != microwave oven.

[Corris Veteran]

Wasn't something like this in the Sim City games, I'm pretty sure it never went down well for my virtual towns. :rofl:

[Hypnagogue]

This is interesting as a scientific exercise but I'd really like to see some economic viability numbers. I can't imagine this would be more efficient than nuclear energy even if we took up the practice of throwing the little nuclear waste that modern plants produce into space.

[LOC Veteran]

This is interesting as a scientific exercise but I'd really like to see some economic viability numbers. I can't imagine this would be more efficient than nuclear energy even if we took up the practice of throwing the little nuclear waste that modern plants produce into space.

I saw a commercial for Nuclear energy the other day! I couldn't believe it! It's been literally 2 decades since the last commercial I've seen for Nuclear power. I'm not kidding, the last time I saw one was like, 1988 or so lol

You know the energy situation is getting worse when you start seeing Nuclear power TV ads :D

[Growled Member]

Right now this is nothing more than an experiment but in another generation or two they may have a viable alternative there.

[bob21]

For comparison Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant generates 50,791 GW?h>

[Cvrt7.62Ghst]

*sigh*

Wouldn't be that expensive if someone would just build a linear accelerator...

[Berserk87]

if constructed this could, in theory, be used to create giant emp's, which could disable pretty much every electronic device where aimed, including missiles.