GEO already has 295 commercial satellites (was Nuclear cures)

It may be getting a little crowded, not as crowded as LEO though,
however given the size of SSPS why not connect the satellites functions
up to the SSPS.

Build in a series of mount points with power connections at a suitable
distance from the transmitter and rent them out. Stick an inflatable
boom out if you need to get further away from the transmitter. Use a
standard design for the mount point.

This would simplify satellite design, they would only have to build
whatever it's function is and it would be easy to access for
maintenance. They wouldn't have to worry about it running out of fuel to
keep it's position. They wouldn't have to worry about power, just set it
to use the standard power supply. It would provide another income
stream to the SSPS owner/builder and you wouldn't even have to wait
until the SSPS is complete to hook them up as the power requirements
would be minuscule compared to the array and would easily be able to be
supplied after a few components are initially hooked up.

Given that compared to SSPS components the satellites will be somewhat
smaller, if you were using the equivalent of a Big Dumb Booster to
launch the SSPS components you would probably have more than a few
launches where the satellites could be piggy backed onto the launch on
the cheap. I seriously doubt every single launch would be of sufficient
size or weight to completely fill the payload compartment and some
ballast will be needed, so why not make it paying ballast.

You possibly wouldn't even have to draw power from the main array, you
could use a heat exchanger to use waste heat in an area of low
efficiency to supply that power.

How much do you think Google (or others) would pay to put a few good
quality telescopic cameras up there looking down or up ? or a satellite
based internet service provider a transmitter/receiver, or a University
a radio telescope off the top end (with shielding), or weather bureaus a
big down looking radar etc. lots of possibilities if you can make it
simple enough and cheap enough for them.

Brett.

hitssquad wrote: