[tt] OK NYT: O. Glenn Smith: Satellites With Solar Panels Can Beam the Suns Energy to Earth.

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O. Glenn Smith: Satellites With Solar Panels Can Beam the Suns Energy to 
Earth.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/23/opinion/23smith.html

Op-Ed Contributor
Houston

AS we face $4.50 a gallon gas, we also know that alternative energy
sources -- coal, oil shale, ethanol, wind and ground-based solar --
are either of limited potential, very expensive, require huge energy
storage systems or harm the environment. There is, however, one
potential future energy source that is environmentally friendly, has
essentially unlimited potential and can be cost competitive with any
renewable source: space solar power.

Science fiction? Actually, no -- the technology already exists. A
space solar power system would involve building large solar energy
collectors in orbit around the Earth. These panels would collect far
more energy than land-based units, which are hampered by weather,
low angles of the sun in northern climes and, of course, the
darkness of night.

Once collected, the solar energy would be safely beamed to Earth via
wireless radio transmission, where it would be received by antennas
near cities and other places where large amounts of power are used.
The received energy would then be converted to electric power for
distribution over the existing grid. Government scientists have
projected that the cost of electric power generation from such a
system could be as low as 8 to 10 cents per kilowatt-hour, which is
within the range of what consumers pay now.

In terms of cost effectiveness, the two stumbling blocks for space
solar power have been the expense of launching the collectors and
the efficiency of their solar cells. Fortunately, the recent
development of thinner, lighter and much higher efficiency solar
cells promises to make sending them into space less expensive and
return of energy much greater.

Much of the progress has come in the private sector. Companies like
Space Exploration Technologies and Orbital Sciences, working in
conjunction with NASA's public-private Commercial Orbital
Transportation Services initiative, have been developing the
capacity for very low cost launchings to the International Space
Station. This same technology could be adapted to sending up a solar
power satellite system.

Still, because building the first operational space solar power
system will be very costly, a practical first step would be to
conduct a test using the International Space Station as a
"construction shack" to house the astronauts and equipment. The
station's existing solar panels could be used for the demonstration
project, and its robotic manipulator arms could assemble the large
transmitting antenna. While the station's location in orbit would
permit only intermittent transmission of power back to Earth, a
successful test would serve as what scientists call "proof of
concept."

Over the past 15 years, Americans have invested more than $100
billion, directly and indirectly, on the space station and
supporting shuttle flights. With an energy crisis deepening, it's
time to begin to develop a huge return on that investment. (And for
those who worry that science would lose out to economics, there's no
reason that work on space solar power couldn't go hand in hand with
work toward a manned mission to Mars, advanced propulsion systems
and other priorities of the space station.)

In fact, in a time of some skepticism about the utility of our space
program, NASA should realize that the American public would be
inspired by our astronauts working in space to meet critical energy
needs here on Earth.

O. Glenn Smith is a former manager of science and applications
experiments for the International Space Station at NASAs Johnson
Space Center.