another dissapointment

I hadnt read this Mars beamed power solution. However, I am part of a student team researching using SPS for Mars missions. We only started this past April as part of a design competition for the European Space Agency. The report was due to the ESA at the end of July and you can visit at http://silmarillion.thebackofthemoon.com/Silmarillion-Project-University-of-Waterloo.pdf. Wed be happy to receive any feedback since we are only just beginning our research into this area. Hopefully well be able to make time with school to continue to explore the concept. We do have plans for physical testing and computer modelling, but thus far, all our research has been reviewing other literature.

Reyna

"Combs, Mike" wrote: Sounds related to this research: http://science.nasa.gov/newhome/headlines/msad03mar99_1.htm It would be sort of interestingif it worked out that SPS was economical for a Mars base before it was economical for Earth. Interestingly, this article attributes the idea of using Martian CO2 for manufacture of return propellant to our very own Gerard O'Neill, saying that Zubrin subsequently promoted it. I think most people are of the understanding Zubrin originated the idea, and this is the only article I've ever found attributing the original concept to O'Neill.

Regards,
Mike Combs

Coincidentally while googling for something I came across this, has
anybody by any chance read it ?

http://gltrs.grc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/GLTRS/browse.pl?1992/E-7581.html