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Space Solar Power coming soon?
TankHammer
Atlanta GhostbusterAtlanta, GARegistered User regular
Atlanta GhostbusterAtlanta, GARegistered User regular
My Boss came into the office today talking about an acquaintance of his who was working on cracking the U.S. Government to begin a project to put solar receptors into orbit around Earth which will convert the solar power into microwaves which will be beamed down to the surface and converted back into power.
This was a plan created by MIT guys in the 70s but the government wasn't interested then. Now, however, with the quest for alternate and clean fuel sources in full swing, they've changed their minds.
Those working on making this come to reality are under the firm belief that this should not be a United States only project and should be an international effort. What the government doesn't see eye-to-eye with the scientists about is this issue. They wouldn't want a hostile nation to be able to shut down our power as part of an attack or retaliation.
In any case, this is some awesome news for science.
A history of the technology (it dates back a long way) can be found on Wikipedia
Power beamed ANYWHERE.
Think what it could do for remote research facilities or even military applications.
This was a plan created by MIT guys in the 70s but the government wasn't interested then. Now, however, with the quest for alternate and clean fuel sources in full swing, they've changed their minds.
Those working on making this come to reality are under the firm belief that this should not be a United States only project and should be an international effort. What the government doesn't see eye-to-eye with the scientists about is this issue. They wouldn't want a hostile nation to be able to shut down our power as part of an attack or retaliation.
In any case, this is some awesome news for science.
A history of the technology (it dates back a long way) can be found on Wikipedia
"We now have the technology to convert the sun's energy at the rate of 42 to 56 percent... We have made tremendous progress. ...If you can concentrate the sun's rays through the use of large mirrors or lenses you get more for your money because most of the cost is in the PV arrays... There is a risk element but you can reduce it... You can put these small receivers in the desert or in the mountains away from populated areas. ...We believe that in 15 to 25 years we can lower that cost to 7 to 10 cents per kilowatt hour. ...We offer an advantage. You don't need cables, pipes, gas or copper wires. We can send it to you like a cell phone call -- where you want it and when you want it, in real time."
Power beamed ANYWHERE.
Think what it could do for remote research facilities or even military applications.
TankHammer on
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Posts
Yes, definitely.
How about no.
"WHAT? THEY WANT TO BLAST US WITH MICROWAVES?!? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Hey what's that light? Why's it getting briFWOOOOOOOOM
I'm not interested.
privatization of infrastructure can be a very bad idea
Hooray for baseless paranoia.
There's no sunlight in space!
So can anything else.
Can be != always is.
Iraq.
You realize these things could be privatized later
There is nothing wrong with government giving the initial leap into new technologies--and later allowing private industry take the reins once responsibility and control of the tech is establied: see railroads/shipping
Oh, just go to Cosmo Canyon. Plenty there.
later SE++
You were?
That's interesting.
I was Entorage.
Taking control back from the government is virtually impossible, however.
But that leaves us with a good faith agreement on the part of the government that they will return this resource to the people.
Even if the initial administration is trustworthy, regimes change.
I cringe in terror when I think about some aristocrat like George W. Bush bullying his way to power and then given reign over the lifeblood essential to pretty much everything in the modern world.
That's where I first heard about the idea actually. SimCity 3000's microwave power plants.
God, you're interested in some tired repetition of "omg I'll be so cool if I express random euphoria over this gadget" in a bad ass thread about giant space lasers?
Then, after the movie was over, we looked at each other and went "Yeah... That was a movie about a giant space laser, wasn't it?"
Thank goodness for Casino Royale.
Man fuck those action verbs.
Waste of syllables.
*shrug* Not if you believe in the market economy. If the government decided to de-regulate- market-forces and competition would handle the rest--just have to make sure that there are standards like with anything else
ain't you never seen batman begins?