EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This Final Report provides the findings of the Eurospace Powersat Study for ESA (Contract n° 9390/91/F). The Report is split into two major parts. PART I is a general discussion of the economics and potential applications of Powersats within future space-based infrastructure programmes. PART II is a discussion of the requirements for a Powersat Demonstration Programme, and reference concepts for an initial and later advanced demonstrator are defined and summarised in Figure 1. The principal conclusions and observations are as follows: The Economics of Powersats • If Europe and the other space faring nations intend to develop a wide-spread, diverse and cost-effective in-orbit infrastructure, then Powersat-type systems are considered mandatory prerequisites. They are also important intermediate steps in the development of the closely related Solar Power Satellite concept for terrestrial power supply. • No existing operational space programme could justify the high development cost of a Powersat. This is primarily because the actual financial savings amortised over the satellite’s lifetime are relatively modest, even if most of the power subsystem could be deleted. • Space Stations, like the proposed Freedom, could provide a suitable first niche market opportunity for a relatively simple power-augmenting Powersat. This is because the Powersat would enable significant savings in the amount of propellant and, potentially, batteries that must be launched every single year.
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