[Uncledave]

For the ping list's wild and wacky files.

(Interesting the author didn't postulate how the power would back get to earth)

[Uncledave]

Renewable Energy Ping

Please Freep Mail me if you'd like on/off

[from occupied ga]

(Interesting the author didn't postulate how the power would back get to earth)

• Really long extension cord.
• Microwave

[farlander]

Microwave transmission. One catch, tho - the beam gets out of alignment with the receiving station, and you get lots of cooked stuff down below. The technology required to operate such an orbital construct is not exactly ‘off the shelf’.

[DBrow]

“how the power would back get to earth”

A low power density microwave beam, tuned away from the strong water peaks. The reciever is a large array of small rectifying antennas (rectenna array).

If the beam wanders off, the low power density does not cause (much) damage.

It requires a large rectenna, but if you use a very concentrated beam, the consequences of a beam steering accident goes up. Rectennas are simpler than solar cells and can be worked into building structures.

Ambitious and forward-thinking. We’ve had shuttles for how long now? And what do we do with them?

[Gorzaloon]

Oh NOT this idiocy again.

This SF has been going around since the '70's.

[indcons]

Space ping

[cicero2k]

The era of expendable launch vehicles should end and reusable launch vehicles (RLV) are needed Yeah, no joke. If India can pull RLV development off, while we have not, then perhaps the 21st century will be "Asian". I'm not holding my breath.

[NTW64]

Interesting weapon potential. Reminds me of the reflective beam in Jason and the Argonauts...

[RightWhale]

This has been possible for 1/4 century. India will not make it pay unless they combine it with two other things:
1. Put energy intensive industry in space;
2. Initiate space mining.

Space mining is effectively prohibited by the 1967 UN Outer Space Treaty, which makes the program unfeasible. All this was discussed in detail when the L-5 Society was active long ago. India has had a grassroots interest in space development stronger than any other country, but they haven’t been paying attention.

[ryan71]

I’m missing something here...

The space-based solar panels would be positioned between the Earth and sun so the panels can collect 24/7.

The system would beam the collected energy down to a stationary antenna on the Earth’s surface...

While the Earth is spinning?

[Tokra]

I remember reading a few years ago that the receiver on the surface of the earth would have to be huge - 100 miles in diameter. Maybe technology has changed since that was written.

[Old Professer]

Little, tiny parachutes.

[goldfinch]

Cool. Reducing the world’s dependency of oil is a worthy goal. The more different ideas about how to accomplish that goal, the better.