36 nights in spring and summer, lasting about 2 minutes. The Environmental Assessment indicates that this amount of concentrated light from a small object may pose an eye damage risk to someone viewing the satellite through a telescope. Therefore, the present design for a highly polished antenna surface will be changed to eliminate the risk by permitting only diffused reflection of light. Means to further reduce the intensity of reflected light are also under consideration. III.8 Have psychological factors affecting manned operations in the space environment been taken into account in studies of the health and safety of the space workers? A preliminary study of the psychological factors affecting SPS space workers is in progress. Existing data that addresses this problem are available from the Skylab astronauts and Russian cosmonauts, submarine crews, oil platform workers, and the construction personnel on the Alaska pipeline. The results of the study are anticipated in March 1980; the question is of paramount interest and will be pursued throughout the SPS program. IV. ABOUT THE SOCIETAL EFFECTS IV. 1 Why do we need centralized (baseload) power and a national energy gird? Wouldn't a centralized system like the SPS reinforce the control that large institutions exert over people's lives? Wouldn't reliance on the SPS inhibit a widely expressed desire to be more self-reliant through control of one's own energy supply? The electric utility industry began as a highly decentralized activity with generation located close to the consumer and with virtually no interties between systems. Advancing technologies and economies of scale led to mergers and interconnections and have permitted utilities to build larger plants and larger capacity transmission lines at decreasing unit costs. Interconnections have improved the reliability of utility systems and reduced generating reserve requirements. Presently, there are three major transmission networks - one each in the East, West and Texas - composed of utilities and pools intertied with each other, but the three networks are not connected. There is no national grid system, although its desirability continues to be debated. Livingston, L.E., "Visibility of Solar Power Satellites from the Earth", NASA Johnson Space Center, JSC-14715 report, Feb., 1979.
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