weight by almost a factor of three over its nearest competitor. (Paper number IAF-ICOSP89-9-7.) 10. SPACE POWER BEAMING 10-1. Space Experiment for Microwave Energy Transmission (METS) Nobuyuki Kaya', Hiroshi Matsumoto2 & Makoto Nagatomo3 'Department of Instrumentation, Kobe University, Nada, Kobe 657, Japan;2 Radio Atmospheric Science Center, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto 611, Japan;3 Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 229, Japan. We present the concept of the METS (Microwave Energy Transmission in Space) experiment using the Space Flyer Unit (SFU), which is launched by the Japanese H-II rocket and recovered by the Space Shuttle. The purpose of the present proposal is twofold: one is to develop and verify an energy transmission technology via microwave beam in space. The other is to investigate the plasma effects on the nonlinear propagation characteristics of a microwave energy beam through the space plasma as well as the counter-effects of the microwave beam on the plasma environment. The establishment of the microwave energy transmission is important not only for the Solar Power Satellite but also for much smaller-scale energy transmission from an intermediate-scale energy station to other spacecraft and for many other ground-based applications. The control of the energy beam is highly important as the power station should aim accurately at its target regardless of any distortion of the antenna structure and of the moving target location with a high speed. In the METS system, a flexible active phased array transmitter is developed with a new hybrid control system using both a retrodirective antenna and computer control. A microwave transmitter with a phased array antenna of 2.7 m in diameter is designed to transmit 10 kW microwave at a frequency of 2.45 GHz to the target satellite or the ground receiving site. The power density of the microwave for the power transmission is 12 orders of magnitude higher than that for communication use. Therefore, strong nonlinear effects are expected such as plasma heating and nonlinear scattering which cause the excitation of various plasma waves. The nonlinear excitation of plasma waves were experimentally studied once by a Japanese sounding rocket experiment MINIX (Microwave Ionosphere Nonlinear Interaction experiment) in 1984. The result of the MINIX indicated the high power microwave can cause strong excitations of the plasma waves. In the METS experiment we will investigate these nonlinear effects by realizing a local spot of very intense microwave field. The hot spot will be created by focusing the microwave in a location above the SFU which is reachable by diagnostics probes. (Paper number IAF-ICOSP89-10-1.) 10-3. Power Beaming—The Electric Grid for Space E. P. Coomes & J. A. Bamberger Energy Sciences Department, Pacific Northwest Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352, USA. A key factor in the exploration and development of the space frontier is the availability of energy where and when it is needed. The current approach to supply power is to have an integral power system for each element of each mission. This requires tailor-made power systems for each application and often this results in limitation or restrictions on the possible mission activities. An alternative approach is to free mission planners of these limitations or restrictions, just as terrestrial planners are, by employing the terrestrial approach of central power generation and transmission. By coupling advanced high power system being designed today with energy
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