International Symposium on Solar Energy from Space The Vision & Challenge of Solar Power Satellites Abundant & Affordable Solar Power on Earth & in Space 08 September 2009 John C. Mankins Co-Chair, International Academy of Astronautics Study Group President, Artemis Innovation Management Solutions LLC Ashburn, Virginia 20147 USA
The Vision Clean, safe, affordable and virtually limitless solar energy 24/7 08-10 September 2009 // International Solar Energy from Space Policy Form
The Challenge Many Possible Paths… Complex Engineering Choices… Technical Challenges The Technical and Economic viability of SSPS depends on (1) end-to-end Efficiency, (2) total Mass, and (3) the Cost to deploy / operate… 08-10 September 2009 // International Solar Energy from Space Policy Form
History & Illustration of the Challenge 1979 SPS Reference Concept in GEO 08-10 September 2009 // International Solar Energy from Space Policy Form pg. 3
What Has Changed? 1979 2009 • Solar Power Generation • Solar Power Generation – Efficiency @ ~ 10% – Efficiency @ ~ 40%, going to 50% • Wireless Power Transmission • Wireless Power Transmission – Solid State Amplifiers, with – Solid State Amplifiers, with Efficiency @ ~ 20% Efficiency @ ~ 80 - 90% – Mechanical Pointing, 200 meter gimbal – Electronic Beam Steering, with no carrying 7 GW to 1 km array mechanical gimbal • SSPS Power Management Req’ts • SSPS Power Management Req’ts – Voltages @ ~ 50,000 Volts – Voltages @ < 1,000 Volts • SSPS Space Launch Req’ts • SSPS Space Launch Req’ts – Unique Reusable Heavy Lift, with – Any Commercial Launcher, with payloads payloads @ 250 tons @ ~ 25 tons • Space Robotics • Space Robotics – Degrees of Freedom @ ~ 3 – Degrees of Freedom @ ~ 30++ – Control ~ Programmed/Teleoperated – Control ~ Autonomous/Telesupervised • Space Assembly • Space Assembly – 100’s of Astronauts – No Astronauts – Large Space Factory Required in GEO – No Space Factory Required 08-10 September 2009 // International Solar Energy from Space Policy Form pg. 4
How SPS Economics Might be Achieved… Average Dev Cost per kg-Dry (Space or "High-Tech" Only) • TBD 4.0E+06 3.5E+06 Systems Specific Cost ($/kg) 3.0E+06 2.5E+06 Aerospace 2.0E+06 1.5E+06 1.0E+06 5.0E+05 0.0E+00 Average 1-20 kg Average 20-20,000 Average 20,000- Average 200,000- kg 200,000 kg 2,000,000 kg Aerospace Systems "Mass Class" • Large systems, assembled out of identical intelligent (and reconfigurable) elements, have the potential to radically reduce the cost of space operations--for the right applications • At the same time, such ‘fractionated spacecraft’ can radically reduce launch risks and costs… 08-10 September 2009 // International Solar Energy from Space Policy Form pg. 5
One Promising Approach Integrated Symmetrical/Modular SPS 08-10 September 2009 // International Solar Energy from Space Policy Form pg. 6
A Potential Key to Microwave SPS: Retrodirective Phased Arrays… Phase Phase Phase Conjugate Conjugate Conjugate Space Antenna Li Li+1 Li-1 Wave Front Pilot Signal 08-10 September 2009 // International Solar Energy from Space Policy Form pg. 7
Recent SBSP Progress Wireless Power Transmission Tests (2008) 08-10 September 2009 // International Solar Energy from Space Policy Form pg. 8
Today: Another Step Forward… • Demonstration of a “NextGen” Retrodirective Phased Array Approach for Wireless Power – Prof. N. Kaya and team; of Kobe University • Key SPS / WPT Functions to be demonstrated… – Low-cost, high-power amplifier phased array modules – Pilot Signal Control of the phased array – dispatchable energy – Dynamic pointing to / tracking of a moving target – Automatic recovery from dislocation of array elements 08-10 September 2009 // International Solar Energy from Space Policy Form
Closing • Fundamentally new approaches are needed to meet the Emerging Challenges of global Energy, including – Accelerating per capita Energy Consumption (China, India, etc.) – The Urgent Need for Assured Global Energy Security – Strong concerns about environmental impacts (climate change, pollution, carbon sequestration, etc.) – Sometimes Uncertain Stability of Key International Energy producing regions – “Coming Soon”: Peak Oil / Natural Gas – Inherent limits on ground-based renewable energy (day/night cycle, biofuels competition with agricultural production, etc.) Space Solar Power could realize the Vision of sustainable, affordable, safe solar energy – worldwide & 24-7… 08-10 September 2009 // International Solar Energy from Space Policy Form pg. 10
The Vision Affordable / Dispatchable Solar Energy 24-7 08-10 September 2009 // International Solar Energy from Space Policy Form pg. 11
The Vision Affordable / Dispatchable Solar Energy 24-7 08-10 September 2009 // International Solar Energy from Space Policy Form
Space Solar Power – A Unique Opportunity Environmental Energy Sustainability Security SPACE SOLAR POWER Economic Space Growth Applications 08-10 September 2009 // International Solar Energy from Space Policy Form pg. 13
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