4. DERIVATION OF POWERSAT DEMONSTRATOR REQUIREMENTS Deciding the most suitable requirements for an initial Powersat demonstrator that conforms to the launch options described in Section 3 is a complex and partly subjective process that must balance the following needs in order to be considered “worthwhile,” 1. Demonstrate technical features that cannot be adequately reproduced in ground laboratories or through other space programmes, 2. Provide the opportunity to test components, elements and operational characteristics of a notional future full-scale Powersat, and 3. Simply prove that power can be transmitted and received between two spacecraft in space, and using this as a demonstrative instrument for generating interest in more advanced future activities. At the same time, it is also important to consider the possibilities of using the Powersat demonstrators for space-to-ground experiments, as many of the requirements for both can overlap. The synergism between some Powersat objectives and those for space-to-ground applications can provide the demonstrator with important serendipity benefits. The possibility for using the demonstrator for technology test-bed activities may also provide additional benefits. 4.1 Technical Issues: Laser or Microwave? The requirements for a Powersat using microwave or laser beams are different. As observed in PART I, the value of using microwave technology is that it enables a relatively conventional and technically realistic operational Powersat for short-distance power supply. By contrast, suitable laser
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