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I did not realize we were so close to having space-based power generation. Anyone have any links or background to explain how feasible this really is and what major pitfalls there will be? (I.e., I've heard in the past that if the power beam gets mis-directed, you can kiss whatever it hits good-bye. Then again, that would make a nifty weapon...)

If this pans out, I could see a major shift to it as a primary power source within the next few decades. Of course, with increasing space junk and whatnot flying around I could also see it being a major flop. Freeper opinions?

1 posted on 09/29/2009 7:59:37 AM PDT by Liberty1970
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To: Liberty1970

Oh. What happens if the microwave transmission wanders off-course into a residential area?

What happens if it’s not accidental??


2 posted on 09/29/2009 8:10:15 AM PDT by catman67
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To: Liberty1970

Enviros will whine about polluting the space above earth, danger of falling satellites, etc. And yeah, at 200 MW, you DON’T want to get in the path of that beam. Instant vaporization. No doubt some funding is being provided with the idea that this would make one hecka weapon.


5 posted on 09/29/2009 8:26:17 AM PDT by Clock King (There's no way to fix D.C.)
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To: Liberty1970

Give me a break. Does PG&E have any idea what it costs to put one pound of payload into Geostationary orbit?


6 posted on 09/29/2009 8:34:34 AM PDT by Yo-Yo (Joe Wilson speaks for me.)
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To: Liberty1970

Will this mean anti-satellite weapons (missiles, other satellites, etc) will be able to kill not only communications and spy satellites but also kill power to whole areas of the country?


8 posted on 09/29/2009 9:09:14 AM PDT by DesertSapper (God, Family, Country . . . . . . . . . . and dead terrorists!!!)
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To: Liberty1970

Space based power plants and a coal burning facility that emits no carbon dioxide.

They left out the Perpetual Motion Machine...


9 posted on 09/29/2009 9:16:33 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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To: Liberty1970
Interesting concept. Looks more efficient, but I'd wonder how much more solar radiation there's available to be captured by a space-based platform.

Also, how lossy the MW transmissions earthside would be.

And, I don't think that I'd want to get in their way. That would provide some Zotworthy photos. :-)

10 posted on 09/29/2009 9:16:36 AM PDT by wbill
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To: Liberty1970

They’re forcing higher cost power on us to do 3 things:

1.Force smaller power suppliers out of the market to eliminate competition.

2.Increase the cost of power so the power companies can profit.

3.Increase the likely hood of shortages so they can profit even more.

And with all of this extra money they can fund these environmentalist orgs so they can propagandize the citizenry to vote even stricter environmental laws in which they can profit even more.

They set up quite a toxic scheme of corruption with cap n tax and the influence peddling that it will enable. It’s already going on, but cap n trade will put the corrupt system on steroids and institutionalize their criminal behavior.


11 posted on 09/29/2009 1:44:43 PM PDT by Brett66 (Where government advances, and it advances relentlessly , freedom is imperiled -Janice Rogers Brown)
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To: KevinDavis; AdmSmith; Berosus; bigheadfred; Convert from ECUSA; dervish; Ernest_at_the_Beach; ...

Gerard K. O’Neill ping.


12 posted on 09/29/2009 2:15:20 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/__Since Jan 3, 2004__Profile updated Monday, January 12, 2009)
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