power transmitter and a laser power transmitter and be used to demonstrate both SPS configurations. Upon completion of the demonstration, the microwave power transmission system could be salvaged for use on a full-scale SPS satellite if the microwave SPS option is found desirable. The demonstration vehicle, however, would remain in GEO and, using the laser power transmission system, power laser rockets for LEO to GEO transportation. The value of the recommended salvage use is strongly dependent on the continuation of the SPS program, but even in the absence of a continuing SPS program, it appears sufficient to justify the development of a laser space transportation system exclusive of the SPS demonstration project. For planning purposes it is reasonable to assume that this salvage use will offset about 80 percent of the on-orbit cost of the demonstration satellite hardware. The conclusions and recommendations with respect to the full-scale satellites are as follows. Several potential salvage uses exist for full-scale SPS satellites, each with a salvage value ranging up to about $3 billion. Preferred salvage uses appear to be use as a power supply for a laser space transportation system, use as a power supply for powering aircraft on oceanic routes, use as a power supply to recover Amor and Apollo asteroids and use as a power supply for a high-energy, high-vacuum physics laboratory in space. The average salvage value of an SPS satellite appears to be in the range of 5 to 10 percent of the satellite capital cost or about $500 million to $1 billion. Some specific uses, however, may provide significantly higher salvage values, but they are likely to be limited to only a few satellites. A basic theme which seems to dominate the salvage value results is that the uses which utilize the entire satellite intact have a higher value than those which require segmenting the satellite. The more the satellite is cut up, the less it appears to be worth as salvage.
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