Solar Power Satellites

From: bobunf

> I'm not aware that Robert Zubrin has written on this subject. Can
> you tell me the title of his work on this subject?

I don't know if there's an on-line version of his arguments, but he did
have a go at trying to do-in SPS in his book "Entering Space". Of
course at the time he was very concerned that a Senator was trying to
push NASA toward SPS and away from sending people to Mars, so I think
everybody understood that he had a dog in that fight.

> Also, I don't think you can just point the
> thing at the Sun, and let it go at that.

No, I'm not denying that the points you raise are operational
requirements. I'm only saying that supposing they will consume 1/10 the
power output of the average commercial nuclear reactor sounds a bit
excessive.

> I think
> the heat issue alone could be a show stopper.

It's true the SPS intercepts an enormous amount of power, but what you
need to consider is that it's also a very thin object with an enormous
amount of surface area.

> I think a ten fold
> reduction in cost would represent some significant advancement.

I'd agree and will even go on record as saying that a ten fold reduction
in lift costs still probably wouldn't get us to SPS. Those of us who
retain our optimism about SPS think that will just be the beginning of
the improvements we'll see in the next few decades.

Regards,

Mike Combs