SPS TECHNICAL ISSUES C. H. Guttman PS01, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Alabama 35812 Beginning with the earliest studies of Satellite Power Systems (SPS) engineers and scientists have consciously "red flagged" any technical issue which would either seriously impact or potentially negate the integrity of an SPS Program. Issues were identified not only relating to the question of engineering feasibility, but also to the equally important areas of environmental and social acceptability and, especially, economic viability. Much effort has been expended on studies and experiments directed toward obtaining an understanding of these issues and the degree to which they can be resolved. A lot of people feel that many "show-stoppers" exist which cannot be resolved, or worse, that key technical issues have been ignored. It is the intent here to enumerate technical issues which were highlighted some four years ago; to selectively discuss some of the results obtained as to their resolution; and to briefly touch on their current status. The table shown below is a composite list of technical issues and program concerns covering the spectrum of SPS activities. A set of criteria was developed as a guide in evaluating the issues. These criteria consisted of categorizing the issues into one of the following three levels of criticality: • Level 1 - Potential "show-stoppers" • Level 2 - Potential of serious impact • Level 3 - Potential of undesirable impact Table 1. Program issues and Concerns A Level 1 issue was defined as an issue which, if 3 negative result were determined or if there were a failure to resolve the issue, could result in the SPS program being labeled as unfeasible. If these issues were not resolved, or a work-around developed, they would be labeled as "show stoppers" and as a result the SPS program would more than likely be discontinued.
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