would be expended. However, if the on-board generation and storage systems were replaced by a small laser-to-electric converter (plus a heat rejection radiator) and powered from a co-orbiting nuclear-electric driven diode laser array, substantially less total mass in low Earth orbit (LEO) over 7 years may be required to satisfy both conservative and advanced needs for space station power, as seen in Fig. 5. We believe a diode laser array efficiency of 42% may be achieved in less than a decade, while a 70% efficient array may be the ultimate efficiency.
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