Um....yeah.


U.S., Japan Pursuing Space-Based Solar Power Systems

The National Space Development Agency of Japan, or
NASDA, has announced plans to develop a satellite-based
solar power system that would beam energy back to Earth. A
satellite carrying large solar panels would use a laser to
transmit the power to an airship at an altitude of about
12 miles, which would then transmit the power to Earth.
NASDA currently expects to develop the laser technologies
in the next 10 years and aims to conduct its first power
transmission test in 2025. See the NASDA Web site at:
<http://spaceboy.nasda.go.jp/note/kouso/E/kou106_solar_e.html>.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
in the United States has been pursuing a similar approach,
although with less ambitious goals. A September review of
the NASA research by the National Research Council (NRC)
found the research worthwhile, although it noted that the
funding levels would have to be much higher to achieve its
goals. The review noted that "dramatic reductions" would be
needed in the cost of placing the system into Earth orbit and
in the cost of the solar panels, and that significant progress
is still needed in the technology to manage the power in
space and beam it back to Earth. See the NRC report at:
<http://www.nap.edu/books/0309075971/html/>.

The subject of space-based power has also been examined
by Resources for the Future (RFF), a Washington-based
group that studies energy and environmental policy. A report
issued last year suggested that space-based power would
have difficulty competing with land-based power sources,
and urged that economic analyses continue in tandem with
the technology development. However, a more promising
avenue was suggested in an October report, which
examined the concept of using a space-based power plant to
beam power to other space-based facilities. See the
"Discussion Papers" in the Space section of the RFF Library
at: <http://www.rff.org/nat_resources/space.htm>.

If those concepts aren't far enough into outer space for you,
consider this: wind energy might be a great energy option on
Mars. It turns out that solar power systems, which are
usually used for power in space, would be least effective
during Martian sand storms, when it's windy, of course. So a
wind and solar hybrid energy system might work best.
Similar systems operating in Alaska and Antarctica may
serve as models for these Martian power systems. See the
press release from the NASA Ames Research Center at:
<http://amesnews.arc.nasa.gov/releases/2001/01_72AR.html>.