CONCLUSIONS Since the concept of a Satellite Solar Power Station was first proposed in 1968, considerable work has been carried out on various aspects of the SSPS. The SSPS is now considered a credible option which, if successfully developed, could contribute significantly to meet energy requirements beyond 1995. Assessments are being carried out by academic, industrial, and government groups in the United States and abroad. The results of these investigations indicate that: • The SSPS is technically and economically promising. • The SSPS has the potential to be environmentally acceptable. • An orderly incremental SSPS development program can preserve this energy option. • Critical SSPS technology developments can contribute to other worthwhile endeavors in space and on Earth. • Developments being carried out on advanced space transportation systems, solar energy conversion systems, and other related technology are supportive of SSPS development. The SSPS represents an undertaking which, because of its magnitude, worldwide implications on energy availability, and potential for the industrial use of space, could benefit many countries. It should be in the common interest to obtain agreements on such aspects as suitable frequency assignment for the microwave beam, favorable launch sites for the space transportation system, and sites for the receiving antennas. The successful implementation of the objectives of the SSPS should lead to the elimination of society's energy-related concerns. But even beyond this, it represents an opportunity to enter not only a new era of energy resource development but, in a broader sense, the first steps toward the industrialization of space and the extension of civilization beyond the confines of the Earth's surface. What is required now is to proceed with the near-term development program for the SSPS so this option can be protected and so future decisions regarding the implementation of the full-scale SSPS development program can be based on hard data. NASA and industry have the capability to undertake the SSPS development program. The commitment to this program within the technical community is growing. With the support of Congress and other elements of the Federal government this option could be established as one of the major initiatives to meet future national and world needs for energy.
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