Space Based Solar Power: Large-scale solution to climate change or fuel crisis

By Fouad Sabry

What Is Space Based Solar Power

The notion of space-based solar power refers to the gathering of solar energy in outer space by solar power satellites (SPS) and the subsequent transmission of that energy to Earth. Outside of the atmosphere, sunlight is able to shine for longer periods of time and is brighter overall. Solar power systems that are stationed in space are able to transform sunlight into another kind of energy that is then able to be sent via the atmosphere to receivers located on the surface of the earth. Those who are looking for answers on a massive scale to problems like anthropogenic climate change or the depletion of fossil fuels may find it appealing.

How You Will Benefit

(I) Insights, and validations about the following topics:

Chapter 1: Space-based solar power

Chapter 2: Spacecraft propulsion

Chapter 3: Space colonization

Chapter 4: Solar sail

Chapter 5: Beam-powered propulsion

Chapter 6: Starwisp

Chapter 7: Lightcraft

Chapter 8: Rectenna

Chapter 9: Laser propulsion

Chapter 10: Wireless power transfer

Chapter 11: Chang'e 1

Chapter 12: Lunar space elevator

Chapter 13: Project Echo

Chapter 14: NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts

Chapter 15: Lunar habitation

Chapter 16: Thinned-array curse

Chapter 17: LADEE

Chapter 18: Stationary High Altitude Relay Platform

Chapter 19: Thermal rocket

Chapter 20: Lunar Flashlight

Chapter 21: Queqiao relay satellite

(II) Answering the public top questions about space based solar power.

(III) Real world examples for the usage of space based solar power in many fields.

(IV) 17 appendices to explain, briefly, 266 emerging technologies in each industry to have 360-degree full understanding of space based solar power' technologies.

Who This Book Is For

Professionals, undergraduate and graduate students, enthusiasts, hobbyists, and those who want to go beyond basic knowledge or information for any kind of space based solar power.

• Language: English
• Publisher: One Billion Knowledgeable
• Release date: Oct 15, 2022

Book preview

Copyright

Space Based Solar Power Copyright © 2022 by Fouad Sabry. All Rights Reserved.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

Cover designed by Fouad Sabry.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Bonus

You can send an email to [e-mail] with the subject line Space Based Solar Power: Large-scale solution to climate change or fuel crisis, and you will receive an email which contains the first few chapters of this book.

Fouad Sabry

Visit 1BK website at

www.1BKOfficial.org

Preface

Why did I write this book?

The story of writing this book started on 1989, when I was a student in the Secondary School of Advanced Students.

It is remarkably like the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Schools, which are now available in many advanced countries.

STEM is a curriculum based on the idea of educating students in four specific disciplines — science, technology, engineering, and mathematics — in an interdisciplinary and applied approach. This term is typically used to address an education policy or a curriculum choice in schools. It has implications for workforce development, national security concerns and immigration policy.

There was a weekly class in the library, where each student is free to choose any book and read for 1 hour. The objective of the class is to encourage the students to read subjects other than the educational curriculum.

In the library, while I was looking at the books on the shelves, I noticed huge books, total of 5,000 pages in 5 parts. The books name is The Encyclopedia of Technology, which describes everything around us, from absolute zero to semiconductors, almost every technology, at that time, was explained with colorful illustrations and simple words. I started to read the encyclopedia, and of course, I was not able to finish it in the 1-hour weekly class.

So, I convinced my father to buy the encyclopedia. My father bought all the technology tools for me in the beginning of my life, the first computer and the first technology encyclopedia, and both have a great impact on myself and my career.

I have finished the entire encyclopedia in the same summer vacation of this year, and then I started to see how the universe works and to how to apply that knowledge to everyday problems.

My passion to the technology started mor than 30 years ago and still the journey goes on.

This book is part of The Encyclopedia of Emerging Technologies which is my attempt to give the readers the same amazing experience I had when I was in high school, but instead of 20th century technologies, I am more interested in the 21st century emerging technologies, applications, and industry solutions.

The Encyclopedia of Emerging Technologies will consist of 365 books, each book will be focused on one single emerging technology. You can read the list of emerging technologies and their categorization by industry in the part of Coming Soon, at the end of the book.

365 books to give the readers the chance to increase their knowledge on one single emerging technology every day within the course of one year period.

Introduction

How did I write this book?

In every book of The Encyclopedia of Emerging Technologies, I am trying to get instant, raw search insights, direct from the minds of the people, trying to answer their questions about the emerging technology.

There are 3 billion Google searches every day, and 20% of those have never been seen before. They are like a direct line to the people thoughts.

Sometimes that’s ‘How do I remove paper jam’. Other times, it is the wrenching fears and secret hankerings they would only ever dare share with Google.

In my pursuit to discover an untapped goldmine of content ideas about Space Based Solar Power, I use many tools to listen into autocomplete data from search engines like Google, then quickly cranks out every useful phrase and question, the people are asking around the keyword Space Based Solar Power.

It is a goldmine of people insight, I can use to create fresh, ultra-useful content, products, and services. The kind people, like you, really want.

People searches are the most important dataset ever collected on the human psyche. Therefore, this book is a live product, and constantly updated by more and more answers for new questions about Space Based Solar Power, asked by people, just like you and me, wondering about this new emerging technology and would like to know more about it.

The approach for writing this book is to get a deeper level of understanding of how people search around Space Based Solar Power, revealing questions and queries which I would not necessarily think off the top of my head, and answering these questions in super easy and digestible words, and to navigate the book around in a straightforward way.

So, when it comes to writing this book, I have ensured that it is as optimized and targeted as possible. This book purpose is helping the people to further understand and grow their knowledge about Space Based Solar Power. I am trying to answer people’s questions as closely as possible and showing a lot more.

It is a fantastic, and beautiful way to explore questions and problems that the people have and answer them directly, and add insight, validation, and creativity to the content of the book – even pitches and proposals. The book uncovers rich, less crowded, and sometimes surprising areas of research demand I would not otherwise reach. There is no doubt that, it is expected to increase the knowledge of the potential readers’ minds, after reading the book using this approach.

I have applied a unique approach to make the content of this book always fresh. This approach depends on listening to the people minds, by using the search listening tools. This approach helped me to:

Meet the readers exactly where they are, so I can create relevant content that strikes a chord and drives more understanding to the topic.

Keep my finger firmly on the pulse, so I can get updates when people talk about this emerging technology in new ways, and monitor trends over time.

Uncover hidden treasures of questions need answers about the emerging technology to discover unexpected insights and hidden niches that boost the relevancy of the content and give it a winning edge.

The building block for writing this book include the following:

(1) I have stopped wasting the time on gutfeel and guesswork about the content wanted by the readers, filled the book content with what the people need and said goodbye to the endless content ideas based on speculations.

(2) I have made solid decisions, and taken fewer risks, to get front row seats to what people want to read and want to know — in real time — and use search data to make bold decisions, about which topics to include and which topics to exclude.

(3) I have streamlined my content production to identify content ideas without manually having to sift through individual opinions to save days and even weeks of time.

It is wonderful to help the people to increase their knowledge in a straightforward way by just answering their questions.

I think the approach of writing of this book is unique as it collates, and tracks the important questions being asked by the readers on search engines.

Acknowledgments

Writing a book is harder than I thought and more rewarding than I could have ever imagined. None of this would have been possible without the work completed by prestigious researchers, and I would like to acknowledge their efforts to increase the knowledge of the public about this emerging technology.

Dedication

To the enlightened, the ones who see things differently, and want the world to be better -- they are not fond of the status quo or the existing state. You can disagree with them too much, and you can argue with them even more, but you cannot ignore them, and you cannot underestimate them, because they always change things... they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones or amateur, others see genius and innovators, because the ones who are enlightened enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do, and lead the people to the enlightenment.

Epigraph

The notion of space-based solar power refers to the gathering of solar energy in outer space by solar power satellites (SPS) and the subsequent transmission of that energy to Earth. Outside of the atmosphere, sunlight is able to shine for longer periods of time and is brighter overall. Solar power systems that are stationed in space are able to transform sunlight into another kind of energy that is then able to be sent via the atmosphere to receivers located on the surface of the earth. Those who are looking for answers on a massive scale to problems like anthropogenic climate change or the depletion of fossil fuels may find it appealing.

Table of Contents

Copyright

Bonus

Preface

Introduction

Acknowledgments

Dedication

Epigraph

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Space-based solar power

Chapter 2: Spacecraft propulsion

Chapter 3: Space colonization

Chapter 4: Solar sail

Chapter 5: Beam-powered propulsion

Chapter 6: Starwisp

Chapter 7: Lightcraft

Chapter 8: Wide-bandgap semiconductor

Chapter 9: Laser propulsion

Chapter 10: Wireless power transfer

Chapter 11: Chang'e 1

Chapter 12: Project Echo

Chapter 13: NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts

Chapter 14: Space Solar Power Exploratory Research and Technology program

Chapter 15: List of NASA missions

Chapter 16: Thinned-array curse

Chapter 17: LADEE

Chapter 18: Optical rectenna

Chapter 19: Stationary High Altitude Relay Platform

Chapter 20: Lunar Flashlight

Chapter 21: Queqiao relay satellite

Epilogue

About the Author

Coming Soon

Appendices: Emerging Technologies in Each Industry

Chapter 1: Space-based solar power

The notion of gathering solar energy in outer space using solar power satellites (SPS) and then transmitting that energy to Earth is referred to as space-based solar power (SBSP, SSP). Outside of the atmosphere, sunlight is more intense and may shine continuously (or almost continuously) throughout the day. Solar power systems that are housed in space are able to convert sunlight into another kind of energy (such microwaves), which can then be sent through the Earth's atmosphere and received by receivers located on the surface of the planet. Those who are looking for answers on a big scale to problems like anthropogenic climate change or the depletion of fossil fuels may find it appealing (such as peak oil).

Since the early 1970s, a number of different SBSP concepts have been investigated, but none of them are economically feasible given the expenses of space launch in the current day. Some experts in the field of technology hypothesize that this may alter in the not-too-distant future with the advent of space manufacturing using materials derived from asteroids or the moon, or with the advent of radical new space launch methods other than rocketry.

In addition to being expensive, SBSP also presents a number of technical challenges, one of which is the issue of how to transport energy from orbit to the surface of the earth. Since wires that extend from the surface of the Earth to an orbiting satellite are not possible with the technology that is available today, SBSP designs typically incorporate wireless power transmission despite the inherent conversion inefficiencies that come along with it. Additionally, land use considerations must be taken into account for the necessary antenna stations that are required to receive the energy at the surface of the Earth. This energy would be sent from the collecting satellite to a collector (or microwave rectenna) located on the surface of the earth, where it would be converted from solar energy into electrical energy and used to power a microwave transmitter or laser emitter. In contrast to the impressions given by works of fiction, the majority of designs offer beam energy densities that would not be detrimental if human people were to be unintentionally exposed to them, such as if the beam from a transmitting satellite were to stray off-course. However, because to the enormous scale of the reception antennas that would be required, extensive tracts of land would still be required in close proximity to the end consumers. The service life of space-based collectors in the face of obstacles posed by long-term exposure to the space environment, including deterioration caused by radiation and damage caused by micrometeoroid impact, might potentially become a worry for the SBSP.

As of the year 2020, the United States of America, Japan, and China are all making concerted efforts to advance SBSP.

In 2008, Japan approved the Basic Space Law, which defined space solar power as a national objective. JAXA has a pathway to commercial SBSP, which was designed in accordance with the Basic Space Law.

In 2015, At the International Space Development Conference, the China Academy for Space Technology (CAST) presented their plan.

The month of February 2019, Science and Technology Daily (科技日报, Keji Ribao), a publication that serves as the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China's official newspaper, It has been claimed that building of a testing facility has begun in the Bishan District of Chongqing.

The vice president of CAST, Li Ming, was cited as claiming that China anticipates becoming the first country to establish a functioning space solar power plant with practical use.

According to recent reports, Chinese scientists want to launch a number of space power stations ranging in size from small to medium between the years 2021 and 2025.

A short piece of science fiction titled Reason was written by Isaac Asimov and published in 1941. In this tale, a space station collects energy from the sun and sends it to other planets through microwave beams. The earliest description of the SBSP idea, which was first referred to as the satellite solar-power system (SSPS), was made in November of 1968.

The United States Congress gave the Department of Energy (DoE) and NASA permission to conduct cooperative research on the idea between the years 1978 and 1986. The Satellite Power System Concept Development and Evaluation Program was established by them. Investigations on whether or not such a project might be successfully engineered resulted in the publication of many studies. They are as follows::

Resource Requirements (Critical Materials, Energy, and Land)

Financial/Management Scenarios

Public Acceptance

The Applicability of State and Local Regulations to Facilities Containing Microwave Receiving Antennas for Satellite Power Systems

Student Participation

The Possibility of Lasers Being Used for SBSP Power Transmission

International Agreements

Centralization/Decentralization

The Mapping of Prohibited Areas Around Receiving Antenna Sites

Concerns Regarding the Economy and the Demographics in Relation to Deployment

A Few Questions and Their Replies

The Influence of the Atmosphere on the Propagation of Laser Beams and Directly Powered by the Sun Lasers

Public Outreach Experiment

Transmission and reception of electrical power Review and Analysis of the Technical Situation

Space Transportation

Following the elections that took place in the United States in 1980, there was a change in government, and the project was not continued. According to the findings of the Office of Technology Assessment, There is presently insufficient information available about the technical, economic, and environmental elements of SPS for an informed decision to be made regarding whether or not to continue with its development and deployment. In addition, doing an SPS demonstration or a systems-engineering verification program without first conducting more research would be a high-risk business endeavor.

The Space Solar Power Exploratory Research and Technology program (SERT) was established by NASA in 1999 for the following reasons::

Carry out design studies based on a number of different flying demonstration ideas.

Conduct research to determine the general feasibility, design, and needs, then evaluate those studies.

Develop conceptual designs of subsystems that take use of more sophisticated SSP technologies for the benefit of potential future applications in space or on land.

Develop an initial plan of action for the United States to conduct an aggressive technological effort (in collaboration with foreign partners), and implement such strategy.

Develop and demonstrate important space solar power (SSP) aspects via the construction of technological development and demonstration roadmaps.

SERT began the process of developing a solar power satellite (SPS) concept for a future gigawatt space power system. The goal of this concept was to provide electrical power by converting the energy from the sun and beaming it to the surface of the earth. SERT also provided a conceptual development path that would make use of technologies that are already in existence. In order to transform sunlight into usable power, SERT recommended the use of an inflated photovoltaic gossamer structure equipped with concentrator lenses or solar heat engines. The initiative investigated both sun-synchronous and geosynchronous orbital locations for potential system locations. A some of the findings of the SERT:

There is a strong possibility that the rising energy demand will continue for many more decades, which will result in the construction of additional power plants of varying capacities.

It is possible that these plants will have a negative influence on the environment, as well as on the global energy supply and international political dynamics.

The use of renewable sources of energy is an attractive strategy from a philosophical and an engineering point of view.

Due to the intrinsic needs for land and water, many different types of renewable energy sources are restricted in their capacity to produce base load electricity at an affordable price, which is essential for the growth and success of global industry.

According to the results of their Concept Definition Study, it seems that space solar power ideas are ready to be brought back into the conversation.

It is no longer accurate to think about solar power satellites as needing impossibly massive initial expenditures in permanent infrastructure prior to the installation of productive power plants. This misconception has to be eradicated.

When compared to other potential sources of energy, solar power systems in space seem to provide a multitude of important benefits to the surrounding environment.

The economic viability of space solar power systems is contingent upon a wide range of factors and the successful development of a wide range of new technologies (not the least of which is the availability of much lower cost access to space than has been available); however, the same can be said of a large number of other advanced power technology options.

There is a good chance that space solar power may end up being a significant contender among the possibilities for satisfying the growing need for energy in the 21st century.

If space-based provisioning services are going to be economically sustainable, launch costs from low Earth orbit to geosynchronous orbit will need to be in the region of $100–$200 per kilogram of cargo.

An extensive piece titled It's Always Sunny in Space was written by Susumu Sasaki and published in the May 2014 issue of IEEE Spectrum magazine. According to the information presented in the article, it has been the subject of many previous studies and the stuff of sci-fi for decades, but space-based solar power could at last become a reality—and within 25 years, according to a proposal from researchers at the Tokyo-based Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

On March 12, 2015, JAXA made the announcement that they were successful in wirelessly beaming 1.8 kilowatts to a tiny receiver located 50 meters away. This was accomplished by converting energy to microwaves and then back to electricity. This is the typical strategy for dealing with this kind of power.

The SBSP idea is appealing due to the fact that collecting solar