It should be noted that the cost ot the necessary environmental research program and social and economic studies are not included in Table 1. These costs would not affect the total cost nor the average unit cost to any great extent. They could, however, add significantly to the research phase of the program. The total cost of the program through the first full-scale unit is estimated to be slightly over 100 billion dollars. The subsequent fifty-nine units are estimated to cost an average of 11.5 billion dollars per unit. A general description of each of the phases is given below. Program Phase Descriptions The research phase is designed to resolve critical technical issues which have been defined during the concept evaluation program. Approximately one-half of the estimated effort would be expended in ground laboratories and would emphasize such issues as the development of techniques for mass producing solar cells at acceptable costs. The remaining half of the effort would be devoted to specific space experiments which cannot be conducted in the laboratory. High voltage-plasma interaction typify the phenomena which cannot be adequately simulated in the laboratory. The engineering phase would consist of a number of space projects which would allow the development of space construction techniques and the testing in space of engineering models or prototypes of various subsystems. Major cost elements include a multi-man space operation center in low earth orbit, a manned orbital transfer vehicle, a one megawatt solar array and transmitter, a liquid flyback booster for the Shuttle transportation system, and a number of subsystems such as the electric propulsion units. The demonstration phase of the program is most difficult to define, and will have to evolve over a period of time. For the purpose of the present estimate, a system capable of delivering 100-200 megawatts of power from geosynchronous orbit to earth is assumed. This phase includes construction and support facilities at geosynchronous and low earth orbit and significant transportation system development and operations. The investment phase involves the development of the capability to construct full-scale commercial energy systems. It includes the development and purchase of a transportation fleet, a full-scale space construction facility, launch and recovery facilities to handle daily launches, and industrial production facilities to mass produce solar cells, power amplifiers, and other high volume components. The cost of the first production unit includes the satellite hardware costs (33%), the cost of transporting the hardware to the space construction facility (33%), the cost of space construction (11%), and the cost of hardware and construction of the ground rectenna (22%). The average unit cost is seen to decrease somewhat after construction of the first unit. This reduction is related to an estimated reduction in space construction costs, as a function of learning, and a reduction in transportation costs.
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