[Prepared statement of Dr. William B. Lenoir follows:] Prepared Statement of Dr. William B. Lenoir, Scientist-Astronaut, NASA Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee: Good morning. I am pleased to be here this morning to address the potential of satellite power system toward the solution of our country's and the world's critical and growing energy shortage. NASA has a strong interest in satellite power systems. During the course of our Nation's space program NASA has had the opportunity to develop, advance and successfully apply many of the critical technology areas and management systems which would be required for the development of a viable satellite power system. NASA Centers are presently engaged, both internally and in conjunction with industry, in further addressing the technical and related issues dealing with satellite power systems. In September 1974 a Satellite Power Team, which I am privileged to lead, was formed within NASA to support our Office of Energy Programs in its considerations of satellite power systems. This team consists of representatives from the various NASA Centers, each member representing a particular technology area required for the study of satellite power systems. NASA has studied, in the context of our past efforts, many of the systems and approaches proposed by others, several of which have been discussed with you in the past two days. In addition, we have conducted our own internal studies. Let me now go into somewhat more detail and address the steps required to achieve a program of this kind and the issues to be resolved. As I mentioned earlier, we have studied the several concepts for satellite power systems, including those that you have heard described earlier in these hearings. The concept of a photovoltaic satellite power system discussed earlier by Dr. Peter Glaser of the Arthur D. Little Company and the thermal satellite power system concept discussed by the Boeing Company are both good conceptual design studies. Some of their estimates and projections may be somewhat optimistic, but, overall, they appear to be possible. We have no significant criticism of either system. To the level of present understanding, the photovoltaic system and the thermal system appear equally viable. Both options require significant technology advances, as well as further definition, and should be pursued further by NASA and industry. The space colonization concept presented by Professor O'Neill is not really a satellite power system so much as it is a method to build one. It involves advanced space technology and capability (as do the satellite power systems) and has not been reviewed by NASA in this context to the depth necessary for evaluation of its applicability to satellite power systems. The concept has additional implications, but basic ideas, such as the emphasis on manufacture in space, may be the ultimate key to viability of satellite power systems. In addition to assessing the above systems, we are performing system definition studies inhouse. Figure 1 (see p. 208), represents a preliminary configuration of the orbital power plant portion of a system presently under definition and analysis at the Johnson Space Center. At the present time, its major differences with previously mentioned systems are the structural configuration and two transmitting antennas making it equivalent to two 5,000 mw power plants. (For comparison, Consolidated Edison of New York has at present installed generating capacity of 7,300 mw; Greater Houston, 6,800 mw; and all of TVA, 14,900 mw.) The solar energy converter has not been selected yet. Both photovoltaic and thermal converters remain under consideration. An artist's concept of the ground-based microwave receiving station proposed by the Raytheon Company is shown in Figure 2 (see p. 209). This ground station could be located near the consumer, largely independent of weather considerations, since satellite power stations would not require ground sites with high average sunlight. We are presently in the middle of a Microwave Power Transmission Project under the joint auspices of the Lewis Research Center and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. As part of this program, over 30 kw of power has been delivered to a load after being transmitted almost a mile on a microwave beam. Figure 3 (seep. 211) is a photograph of this system in operation. The 17 high-intensity lights are being powered by energy transmitted from the antenna in the foreground to the antenna on the tower behind the lights. Figure 4 (see p. 212) is a closer view of the receiving antenna, commonly called the “rectenna ”.
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