The REAL obstacle to SPSS

>
>>Behalf Of Fred
>>
>> The real obstacle to building solar power satellite systems is
>> diplomatic, and international. Any solar power satellite system
>>that
>> can deliver power reliably to the ground can also deliver power
>> reliably to a "target", i.e. it can be used as a weapon.
>>
>>Please do not repeat this oft-repeated but thoroughly-wrong canard. The
>>microwave beam from an SPS would have zero usefulness as a weapon. For
>>one thing, the power density per unit area is far too low (at or below
>>the level of sunlight). For another, as a weapon it would be one
>>requiring the active cooperation of the target. (I'm referring to the
>>rectenna pilot beam, which is the only thing that makes the phased-array
>>transmission possible.)
>
> Are you sure? Doesnt have an SPS large arrays of solar cells to
> produce power?
>
> With that kind of power available wouldnt it be easy to power a laser
> unit instead of the microwave part of the SPS with it?
> You dont have to use the power only for the rectenna.
>
> A laser unit shouldnt be very big I think.
>
> All what you need is a power cable from the SPS to the laser unit.
>
> That kind of weapon would strike with light speed - you wouldnt even
> see it come.

Any SPS array is going to be viewable by anyone with a telescope. You'd
SEE them mounting a laser cannon long before the bad guy could fire the
silly thing.
>
> The only solution I could see here would be to operate those kind of
> craft through an organization which has the monopoly to use it in
> space while countries/nations wouldnt be allowed to do so. Kind of UN
> or so.

The solution is hinted by my comment above - don't allow a government of
any kind to operate the SPS but instead give it to a for-profit
enterprise. Business guys won't let their expensive capital be used as
a weapon - no profit in it.

Everything the company operating the SPS array does (or any vehicle in
orbit) is open to inspection by anyone with a good telescope on the
ground. This is your solution to the 'using X as a weapon' problem -
shenanigans like this will be seen and corrective action taken.

I'll got a step further - any enterprise in the space access industry
might be advised to open their internal business up to public inspection
as far as they are legally allowed to. You can't do anything without a
paper trail, and this would include shipping to, and operating an
illegal laser cannon. If the public can see this happening, things can
happen to prevent it.

No, I'm not so far gone as to imagine you'd find an invoice for "1) Acme
X-Ray Laser" but the bits to assemble such would be visible if anyone is
looking.

Brian Dunbar
System Administrator
Liftport

brian.dunbar@...
aim: bdunbar1967

Remember.
But move forward, too. Light a candle, yes. But also drive a rivet.
~Lileks