Space Solar Power Technologies, Economics, Financing and Development Research Papers (original) (raw)

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- Computer Science, Physics, Solar Cell, Space Technology

Space Solar Power Active Relay as a cost effective alternative to GEO

- by Royce Jones
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This paper proposes a novel approach to the design of complex engineering systems which maximise performance, and global system resilience. The approach is applied to the system level design of the power system for future Moon bases. The power system is modelled as a network, where each node represents a specific power unit: energy storage, power distribution, power generation, power regulation. The performance and resilience of each power unit is defined by a mathematical model that depends on a set of design (control) and uncertain variables. The interrelationship among nodes is defined by functional links. The combination of multiple interconnected nodes defines the performance and resilience of the whole system. An optimisation procedure is then used to find the optimal values of the design parameters. The optimal solution maximises global system resilience where an optimal resilient solution is either robust, i.e. it is not subject to disruptive failures, or recovers from failu...

- by Gianluca Filippi
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- Computer Science, Electric Power System, TL
- by Jim Crisafulli
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- Political Science, Astrobiology
- by Massimiliano Vasile
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- Sustainability, TL
- by Art Palisoc
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- Environmental Science

A multinational mission architecture is proposed as a way to jump-start development of a global space solar power (SSP) industry. Solar power generated on the International Space Station (whose orbit is roughly 400 km above the Earth) will be converted to millimeter waves and beamed to ground receivers located in five or more nations, providing measurements of dynamic beam pointing and atmospheric propagation in various parts of the globe. A second spacecraft in a polar orbit at nearly 2000 km, launched by a consortium of nations, will be used as a relay for beamed power delivery from the ground and from the ISS to other ground stations. The power transfer will employ one or more of several frequency windows for atmospheric transmission. The millimeter wave regime is chosen as a near-term option reachable by current research, on the road to a possible conversion to the more compact laser optics regime. This mission architecture seeks logical buy-in from the various entities that are...

- by Don Flournoy
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- Astrodynamics, Space vehicles
- by Royce Jones
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- Astrodynamics, Space vehicles

In November, 2014 the participants of the conference "Next Giant Leap: Leveraging Lunar Assets for Sustainable Pathways to Space" issued the International Lunar Decade (ILD) Declaration. The central premises of ILD are: 1. The inspiration for ILD is the International Geophysical Year 1957-8 that marked the first global effort to understand the Earth. ILD is proposed as framework for international cooperation towards permanent presence of humankind on the Moon and beyond. Initially proposed by COSPAR to start on the 50th anniversary of IGY in 2007, global conditions were not favorable. Now, with many countries planning missions to the Moon the decade of 2020-2030 would be appropriate to work towards the strategic goal of making possible permanent presence on the Moon. 2. Economic use of lunar resources is a precondition for sustainable research and commercial activities on the Moon. There is speculation about lunar water and asteroid resources, but no business case for use ...

- by Vidvuds Beldavs
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- by Jim Crisafulli
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This paper outlines the results of a brief study that sought to identify and characterize beamed energy spacecraft propulsion concepts that may have positive impact on the economics of space industrialization. It is argued that the technology of beamed energy propulsion systems may significantly improve the prospects for near-term colonization of outer space. It is tentatively concluded that, for space industrialization purposes, the most attractive near-term beamed energy propulsion systems are based on microwave technology. This conclusion is reached based on consideration of the common features that exist between beamed microwave propulsion and the Solar Power Satellite (SPS) concept. Laser power beaming also continues to be an attractive option for spacecraft propulsion due to the reduced diffraction-induced beam spread afforded by laser radiation wavelengths. The conceptual status and development potential of a variety of beamed energy propulsion concepts are presented. Several...

- by Joel Sercel
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- by Vid Beldavs
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Lunar industrial development can enable sustainable development for humankind for centuries to come, however the combination of extremely high costs to operate on the Moon coupled with the lack of markets for lunar materials demands significant public investment for decades to come. Budgets for NASA and other space agencies are a political decision weighed against other national priorities. The risk of never achieving breakthrough to a self-sustaining space economy is high. Proposed is a Big Push, an economic development approach to concurrently undertake multiple private and public initiatives to drive to take-off of a self-sustaining space economy based on resources of the Moon, asteroids and other cosmic bodies. A Big Push approach would require sustained large investment. It is proposed to structure the space resource economy on the basis of Modern Monetary Theory where a Space Bank would create as much money as needed to meet milestones in the long term plan for lunar industrial development.

Provide an overview of emerging US space launch and space systems trends that are critical to the future of new space business cases –like space solar power

Lightweight mirrors have been proposed in geosynchronous orbit for the generation of Space Solar Power 24 hours per day. Alternatively, lightweight space mirrors have been proposed in sun-synchronous polar orbits for illuminating terrestrial solar fields at dawn and dusk for additional terrestrial solar electric power in the early morning and evening hours. In any case, the trade offs between lightweight, stiffness, and optical quality for low cost space mirrors need to be explored. These trade-offs can be explored by developing and demonstrating a lightweight mirror on the International Space Station. The astronauts on the ISS will see dawn and dusk 15 times per day. Herein, it is noted that a first step in a space mirror development road-map could be the construction of a 12 square meter space mirror to demonstrate full moon intensity illumination in Disney Parks in the evenings. The 400 km altitude of the ISS is an advantage in that a small 12 sq m mirror can produce full-moon intensity on a 4 km diameter spot on the ground provided that the mirror is flat to within 0.5 degrees, i.e. the sun disc size. There are multiple websites to allow one to locate the ISS in the evening demonstrating that the ISS is visible for up to 6 minutes routinely in the evenings at any ground location between +/-52 degrees latitude. How might one mount a mirror on the ISS? The ISS has potential external mounting locations. As one possibility, a mirror could be attached at the bottom of a nadir pointing beam with the top end of the beam attached to the ISS ELC4 or ELC1 locations. An elevation and azimuth pointing mechanism could be located at the bottom of this beam and attached to the centre body of the space mirror. While a space mirror concept for space solar power may be in the very distant future, in addition to providing a space mirror development opportunity, mounting a mirror on the ISS could also have a public relations benefit in that it will make the ISS and the NASA and ESA space development activities more visible for the public. Demonstrating a flat pointing moonbeam space mirror on the ISS would be a significant accomplishment.

A Space Power Satellite capable of providing solar electric power economically for 24 hours per day has been a dream for decades. Herein, an alternative will be described. Mirrors deflecting sunbeams down to earth is a much simpler concept. While this idea is very intriguing, the magnitude of its implementation is daunting. Nevertheless, the idea is intriguing enough to proceed with a first order design for the required space mirror satellites. A first step in a development road-map could be the construction of a 12 square meter space mirror to demonstrate full moon intensity illumination in Disney Parks in the evenings. This first small space mirror could potentially be deployed on the International Space Station for testing and proof of concept experiments.

- by Lewis Fraas
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- Solar Power, Space Based Solar Power

The development of an economically viable space-based solar power (SBSP) system is critical to the Earth's future and for future space development. PowerSat technology is also critical to supporting sustainable private and government space ventures, including space lift, space exploration and space infrastructure development. Such a system would greatly expand the need for space lift capability from small reusable launch vehicles for SBSP satellite maintenance to large expendable launch vehicles for deploying GW class SBSP satellites into orbit. The technology needed for SBSP is also needed for in-space solar electric transportation systems needed for space colonization as the technology is the same. The hope has been that gradual improvement in photovoltaic or other technologies such as thermal systems would solve the mass to orbit problem for SBSP systems. However, this in itself does not appear sufficient to make SBSP economically viable. This paper presents a new architectural option for SBSP using a Sun-synchronous orbit (SS-O), wireless power transmission (WPT) and a space power relay (SPR). This new concept is called The Space Grid. The Space Grid relies on the use of two separate satellite constellations. The power satellite (PowerSat) constellation is placed in SS-O dusk to dawn orbit at 800km and has access to constant sunlight and is used to produce the power. The Equatorial reflector satellite (ReflectorSat) constellation is in a 4,000km equatorial orbit and is used to distribute the power to the rectenna on the Earth's surface. The power is produced by the PowerSats in SS-O and beamed to the ReflectorSats in equatorial orbit and then bounced to the rectenna on the ground. This combination allows for the production and distribution of power to the Earth's surface without the problems normally associated with non-Geostationary (GEO) PowerSat concepts and without having to place the PowerSats in GEO. The Space Grid reduces the mass of a PowerSat transmitter by approximately 67% by moving it closer then past GEO concepts and allows for higher power levels and therefore much smaller (60%) and less costly rectenna on the ground and reduces the minimum size from 5GW to only 2GW allowing quicker deployment of space energy to solve the Earth's energy problems. WPT transmission could be microwave or laser but for this paper microwave will be used for easier comparison with past concepts.

— A Space Power Satellite capable of providing solar electric power economically for 24 hours per day has been a dream for decades. Herein, an alternative will be described. Mirrors deflecting sunbeams down to earth is a much simpler concept. While this idea is very intriguing, the magnitude of its implementation is daunting. Nevertheless, the idea is intriguing enough to proceed with a first order design for the required space mirror satellites. A first step in a development road-map could be the construction of a 12 square meter space mirror to demonstrate full moon intensity illumination in Disney Parks in the evenings. This first small space mirror could potentially be deployed on the International Space Station for testing and proof of concept experiments.

- by Lewis Fraas and +1
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- Photovoltaics, Solar Energy, Space Based Solar Power, International space station

Solar cells have now entered the main stream for electric power production. By the end of 2015, world wide cumulative solar cell electric power installed capacity will exceed 200 GW. This has surprised the main stream energy community. This has been accomplished mainly by using silicon module technology with cell efficiencies of approximately 15%. There are now more opportunities and challenges with exciting potential solutions. One of the challenges that solar energy faces is associated with the fact that solar energy is limited to daytime hours. A Space Power Satellite capable of providing solar electric power economically for 24 hours per day has been a dream for decades. Herein, an alternative will be described. A 10 km diameter constellation of mirror satellites in a sun synchronous orbit at an altitude of 1000 km deflecting sunbeams down to terrestrial solar power fields at dawn and dusk can provide 3 additional hours in the morning and another 3 additional hours in the evening. The key is that larger and larger terrestrial solar fields, photovoltaic or trough concentrated solar power, are already being built all around the world. Mirrors deflecting sunbeams down to earth is a much simpler concept. A surprising convergence of two technologies under development is now possible, i.e. lower cost access to space and the ongoing construction of larger and larger solar power fields. Further analysis of mirrors in space in a dawn dusk orbit combined with future solar power fields has shown this idea to be actually a potentially viable economical proposition [1, 2]. However, while this idea is very intriguing, the magnitude of its implementation is daunting. Nevertheless, the idea is intriguing enough to proceed with a first order design for the required mirror satellites. A mirror satellite development road-map will be presented here. It builds from mirror technology for solar sails as well as technology developed for the International Space Station. It appears that the technology is available to implement this mirror satellite design and at least go to a detailed design and test stage. If this concept is implemented in the future, the hours of solar electricity production in sunny PV fields around the world can be potentially increased to 14 hours per day with an increase in solar field capacity factor to 58% and a reduction in the cost of renewable pollution free solar electricity to below 6 cents per kWh. A first step in a development road-map could be the construction of a 20 m diameter space mirror to demonstrate full moon intensity illumination in Disney Parks in the evenings.
[1] L. Fraas, “Mirrors in Space for Low Cost Terrestrial Solar Electric Power at Night", 38th IEEE PVSC, (June 3-8 2012).
[2] L. Fraas, A. Palisoc, B. Derbes, “Mirrors in Dawn Dusk Orbit for Low Cost Solar Electric Power in the Evening", AIAA ASM Technical Conference, January 10. 2013.

- by Lewis Fraas
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- Renewable Energy, Solar Cells, Solar Energy, Solar Power
- by Omotunde Ayokunle
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- Renewable Energy, Energy