recovery over a particular time-scale. New Mission Options The unique characteristics and functions of certain Powersat configurations could enable new mission opportunities previously considered impractical. In this case the Powersat would be developed based on a potential market that would emerge directly as a function of the availability of higher power levels. Serendipity Benefits Powersats have the potential to lead to the stimulation of new technological capabilities which can be exploited elsewhere, either in space or on the ground. The prospect of Powersats becoming economically viable is encumbered by the expected high cost of their development and operations. Like all space systems. Powersats will be unavoidably expensive, especially if they are to service multiple users simultaneously. This situation is exasperated by the fact that Powersats are without precedent and they will be large by necessity. Consequently, the high risk/large size characteristics will make Powersats susceptible to significant cost increases. In this light, the potential for achieving cost savings could be overwhelmed by the enormous burden of recouping the inherent high initial investment for developing Powersats. The very limited number of possible existing users might make such an economic case difficult to rationalise. But in the future, as indicated in Section 1 above, the eventual exploration and exploitation of space will necessitate high power demands, and almost certainly mandate the use of centrally supplied power for wide-scale activities which might include, for example.
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