Yeah this article is severely lacking in any concrete details.
I’d also like to know how exactly it is that they plan to deploy massive arrays of solar panels to space. Most earth-based solar farms are huge and take up entire fields, some are a few kilometres across in size. That’s many orders of magnitude more massive than anything we’ve previously ever launched.
Plus whatever power transmission system they come up with would have to be powerful to be of any use but if it’s that powerful would present an active danger and would effectively constitute a space-based weapon system.
It’s a cool sci-fi idea but it is all pie in the sky.
Yeah I’ve seen that. Microwave power beaming would work in theory it’s just electromagnetic radiation after all. But the vast majority of it is going to get absorbed by water molecules, because that’s what microwave radiation does, that’s why it cooks your food.
They’re probably going to bake a lot of seagulls as well.
Yeah this article is severely lacking in any concrete details.
I’d also like to know how exactly it is that they plan to deploy massive arrays of solar panels to space. Most earth-based solar farms are huge and take up entire fields, some are a few kilometres across in size. That’s many orders of magnitude more massive than anything we’ve previously ever launched.
Plus whatever power transmission system they come up with would have to be powerful to be of any use but if it’s that powerful would present an active danger and would effectively constitute a space-based weapon system.
It’s a cool sci-fi idea but it is all pie in the sky.
Back of the napkin math:
Largest solar sail (much lighter than panels, but doesn’t produce electricity) 2000 sq meters
200w/sq meter
400kwp
Also iirc the space solar farms plans I’ve seen call for re radiating the energy back via microwaves to dedicated receiving towers on the ground
Now factor in the launch costs, and make sure to include the probability of launch and deployment failures.
Yeah I’ve seen that. Microwave power beaming would work in theory it’s just electromagnetic radiation after all. But the vast majority of it is going to get absorbed by water molecules, because that’s what microwave radiation does, that’s why it cooks your food.
They’re probably going to bake a lot of seagulls as well.