Realization solar power availability in the Main Belt

Taking the 7.78 time-averaged number and extending it, would it be
reasonable to say that the solar energy available in HEO is 7.78 * (1.5^2)
= 17.5 times as much as is available on the surface of Mars? (With --- as
you pointed out --- even much higher ratios possible depending on the
latitude on Mars under consideration.) ? Here, the 1.5 is the distance
of Mars from the Sun in AU. If so, that would mean that on a time-average
basis we would have

location time-avg available energy ( kW / m^2 )
NEO 2000 SG344 1.46
HEO 1.4
high Mars orbit 0.62
Hungaria asteroid 0.39
surface of Earth 0.18
surface of Mars 0.08

The surface of Mars is resource rich, but it is very energy poor. No
wonder Zubrin relies on those nuclear reactors...

Ron Menich

Charles Radley
ssi_list@...
08/10/01 10:22 the Main Belt
AM
Please respond
to ssi_list

>
> I got stuck in a traffic jam last night and stopped in a bookstore rather
> than sit in traffic. I purchased the 3rd edition of the High Frontier,
> and was reading in the parking lot that solar energy is 0.18 kW / m^2 on
> the surface of the Earth whereas it is 1.4 kW / m^2 in HEO. The book
said
> this was a ratio of "almost 10", apparently proving that O'Neill could do

This number varies a lot depending on local conditions.
Note that it is a time averaged number, for example it includes the 50%
day/night cycle.

In some locations the ratio is 20:1

In polar regions in the long dark winter it is infinite.