antennae on earth near the points of consumption, where the microwaves are converted to electricity for local use. Many beams could be generated at each powerplant through the use of multiple antennae, but it would appear to be far more economical to use one antenna and vary the phase of the feed power to form multiple beams. To ensure good reflection efficiency in space, the reflectors should be of large areal extent and electrically continuous. The reflecting antennae can have a grid structure and still maintain excellent reflectivity due to the wavelength of the radiation involved. Such a gridwork reflector alleviates thermal effects due to the varying sun angle during its orbit. It is worth discussing a typical technical problem with this project to see that our current mature technology offers many good solutions. For example, the microwave beam must be directed from the ground to the reflecting antenna, and then back to a specific point on the ground again. Many solutions to this aiming problem are known from satellite telecommunications, and the use of laser techniques immediately springs to mind. It should also be possible to re-aim the beams or the reflectors to change the distribution of power in order to adjust for long-term variations in power demand. This is desirable since, in principle, the cost of transmitting the energy to any point on the earth's surface should be no more than the cost of transmitting it to any other point. Thus there is no need to constrain economies and populations to remain stationary simply because of some existing power distribution system. Indeed, a space transmission system for electrical power will span national and international boundaries and subsume the existing power transmission systems. Other General Considerations The positive consequences of this demonstrably feasible enterprise are so great that it deserves considerable research and development to determine its economic justification. Some considerations are: • Each year that passes before we fully utilize our hydroelectric resources is a year in which great quantities of nonrenewable fossil fuels are burned with considerable negative impact on the environment. • Enabling developing countries to sell hydroelectric energy through a satellite transmission system would rapidly accelerate their development by giving them a substantial market in the industrialized countries for a valuable commodity, and by allowing them to meet their initially small internal electrical needs with cheap power from large installations. • Satellite transmission of power could grow from the current space-based telecommunications systems. The provision of telecommunications service could naturally grow into the provision of electrical power - itself both a good and a service. As with telecommunications, the value of power is to a large extent dependent on continuity of service. Thus the substantial experience with reliable satellite telecommunications provides a good starting point for satellite power transmission. • This project obviously requires intense cooperation among industrialized countries as well as between them and less developed nations. This would ultimately lead to an internationally managed power generation and transmission system. Development of this project would thus have tremendous political and social impact in reducing the isolation of the less developed nations. • No doubt local and regional politics would pose some problems, but a gradual
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTU5NjU0Mg==