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Japan will try to beam solar power from space by 2025

engadget.com

11–20 of 98 posts

Re: Japan will try to beam solar power from space by 2025

#11

Aren’t we trying to manage the energy we already get, and maybe even get less energy? Isn’t it that at the current rates with our modified atmosphere we are going to cook ourselves ?

Space based solar is in very low earth orbit. IOW, it shades the Earth, decreasing the amount of energy that reaches Earth.

Re: Japan will try to beam solar power from space by 2025

#12

Aren’t we trying to manage the energy we already get, and maybe even get less energy? Isn’t it that at the current rates with our modified atmosphere we are going to cook ourselves ?

The big problem is the peaky-ness of the current renewables.

They're either very weather dependent, ecologically intensive or time dependent.

This solves a lot of this by moving the actual capture above us, into geostationary orbit where there's still plenty of space and by using microwaves (rather than traditional light) you can avoid clouds.

Re: Japan will try to beam solar power from space by 2025

#13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's what they said about leaded gasoline and asbestus. We do not know, it might cause cancer.

Leaded gasoline and asbestos weren't studied before introduction. This has been.

RF does have the slight advantage over asbestos that you can just turn it off if adverse effects are observed.

Re: Japan will try to beam solar power from space by 2025

#17
post #3

I wonder what happens to the air craft or living things when they get caught in this high energy beam

They will have predominantly female offsprings https://www.jstor.org/stable/40965912

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aero_Spacelines_Pregnant_Guppy

Re: Japan will try to beam solar power from space by 2025

#18
post #15

I’m no rocket scientist but surely it’s cheaper to build more panels and batteries on Earth? Launching stuff into orbit is expensive in cash and emissions.

The only use case for this that comes anywhere close to being viable is if the alternative is flying in fossil fuels to run a generator. IOW, polar regions and forward military bases.

The hope is that space based manufacturing will eventually make this technology viable more widely.

Re: Japan will try to beam solar power from space by 2025

#19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's what they said about leaded gasoline and asbestus. We do not know, it might cause cancer.

Leaded gasoline and asbestos weren't studied before introduction. This has been.

Don't know about asbestos, but everyone knew lead was bad. Profits just spoke louder.
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