Fig. 1. Prospective schedule of SPS development. Fig. 2. SPS-related assessments performed onboard space station. in space, the energy supply on the ground will be of major public concern as long as the early 2000s is concerned. From now on two kinds of energy exploitation will be promoted — solar energy and atomic energy. Figure 1 illustrates the prospective schedule for SPS development together with the nuclear fusion target. The nuclear fusion reactor will not be commercially available before 2020, and definite prediction is difficult since the technological breakthrough is required for the plasma confinement. Whereas for the SPS development, no essential technological barrier is found so far and the first SPS will be operated by 2010. Until 2010 several assessments have to be done in a steady manner. The assessment items are shown in Fig. 2. Two of these items, such as technological assess-
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