taking of global, near-global, regional or bilateral initiatives to pool material and human resources for the development of SPS programs. Under its policy option the United States could take a positive role in calling for an international pool of resources to help in the assessment of the feasibility, benefits and impediments associated with the developmnet of satellite power systems and eventually assist in the development itself. Such scheme could include participation by all countries in some form through their contributions to natural and human resources needed for the SPS program. Contributions could be taken into account when the eventual benefits would be reaped after the SPS system became operational. This would be to the advantage of all participating countries in that benefits would accrue commensurate to the amount of contributions. Key issues will include the criteria on the basis of which human and material resources will be evaluated and also also the question whether or not the total contribution by a single country or group of countries ought to be the sole factor in determining the distribution of eventual benefits. In view of the anticipated huge financial outlay required for the development of SPS, it would appear to be in the U.S. interest to have the costs of research and development spread not only domestically between government and private enterprise but also, internationally, among nations of the world. Such policy would appear to reflect both altruism and enlightened self interest in that, on the one hand, solar power as a spatial resource would be used for the benefit of mankind and, on the other hand, the
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTU5NjU0Mg==