Inappropriate to unix-pc.general

[Ward Griffiths]

templon at copper.ucs.indiana.edu (jeffrey templon) writes:

>In article <37881 at cup.portal.com> thad at cup.portal.com (Thad P Floryan) writes:

>Yeah, this is a problem.  I got interested in Solar Power Satellites at
>one time and did some research.  This was one of the worries - for those
>baffled, an SPS is a big satellite with solar panels, converts sunlight
>to electricity and then beams it down to earth in microwave form - that
>if somehow the guidance got screwed up, there would be this swath of
>destruction cut by the wandering power beam.  Even if it did stay on target,
>they would be forever collecting birds and small rodents which died near
>the receiving antennas.

That would NOT be a problem with Solar Power Sattelite Systems,
as a number of studies by Gerard O'Neill and a number of others
have demonstrated.  The frequencies used to beam power from
orbit would be nowhere near those used to cook food, as those
frequencies would not be able to get through atmospheric water
vapor.  And the flux densities would be quite low as well.
Increase in energy hitting the ground (if the antenna grid was
not there) would be about the same as locating that desert
about 2-3000 feet higher above sea level.  Of course, the grid
of antennas would be catching 80-90% instead.  Beneath the
antenna array would actually be a good place to put ground-based
solar energy systems.  Myself, I would happily build a house.
And live in it.

Where do you get the idea that the power beam would be wandering
anyway?  A very simple feedback system failsafe would shut the
whole system down if things got off target.  BOTH ends of the
system would have to fail drasticly (or be carefully sabotaged
by eco-nazis) for this to happen at all.

Then again, since the eco-nazis seem to have incredible talents
for screwing up any technologies which offer to reduce pollution
created by power generation, I don't expect English (at least
not the American dialect) to be a dominant language in any space
industrialization efforts.

I realize that this is not the appropriate forum for this thread
and hasn't been for much of its duration.  I recommend that
continued discussion be routed to sci.energy, sci.environment or
preferably sci.space and have done this last in the header.

-- 
          Ward Griffiths, Unisys NCG aka Convergent Technologies                The people that make Unisys' official opinions get paid more.  A LOT more.
===========================================================================          To Hell with "Only One Earth"!  Try "At Least One Solar System"!

How many years must some people exist, before they're allowed to be free?  PP&M           If they have to wait until they're allowed, they never will be.  Me