SpaceX's Elon Musk Talks

You know, I was looking at a review for a new book called Soonish, which is about upcoming technologies like reusable rockets and space elevators.

And the subject of SPS came up. The 2 authors claimed that they consulted with experts in the field, and eventually came to agree with their conclusion that SPS was an interesting idea, but not economically viable under any foreseeable circumstances. They implied this was the majority opinion on the subject.

The argument was one Id heard before. A space-based solar panel might receive 70 times as much solar power as same panel on Earth. But there was no way you could put 1 panel in space for less cost than putting 70 equivalent panels on Earth.

The SPS enthusiasts counter to this argument would be that the value of the SPS is in the continuous nature of the power availability. What monetary value can be assigned to the advantage of continuous availability? I guess the costs sunk in storage capacity. So is this the trumping argument? Or do we need to swallow the bitter pill that SPS will never happen, not even in an era of space industrialized for other reasons?

They made the astonishing assertion that SPS would not be economically viable even in a space elevator world.

What say the rest of you?

Regards,
Mike Combs

From:
spacesettlers@yahoogroups.com [mailto:spacesettlers@yahoogroups.com]
Sent:
Thursday, October 19, 2017 9:40 AM
To:
spacesettlers@yahoogroups.com
Subject:
[EXTERNAL] [spacesettlers] Re: : SpaceX's Elon Musk Talks Rockets, Moon Base and Colonization

First, we need to bring him around on the subject of satellite solar power stations. He's on record as saying that they are a stupid idea.