Integrated Solar Power Satellites: An Approach To Low-Mass Space Power GEOFFREY A. LANDIS* AND RONALD C. CULL** SUMMARY Previous concepts for solar power satellites have used conventional- technology photovoltaic arrays, feeding a power collection and transmission system connected to microwave tubes for DC to RF conversion, which in turn are coupled to a phased array antenna. This paper proposes using thin-film photovoltaics with an integrated solid-state phased-array to design an ultra-lightweight solar power satellite. The status of the enabling technologies, conceptual designs, possible applications, and development steps are discussed. It is found that as these technologies evolve, their use in this design results in a potential reduction in weight by a factor often to a hundred over conventional concepts for solar power satellites, and increases the utility by allowing service to smaller receivers at multiple receiving sites. Introduction The concept of a Solar Power Satellite (SPS) to provide power for Earth was introduced in 19680L Peter Glaser proposed to solve the energy crisis and provide abundant electrical power for Earth by putting large (1-10 Gigawatt) solar collectors into geosynchronous Earth orbit, and to transmit energy to the surface using a microwave beam. Solar power satellites based on this concept were extensively analyzed in the period 1978-1981 [2-5]. Similar microwave-beaming satellites could be used for orbital [6] or lunar [7] power. Solar cell technology has advanced rapidly in the last ten years, with improvements in efficiency, radiation tolerance, cost and weight. This has brought the status of photovoltaic technology remarkably close to the level predicted to be available by 1990 by the original SPS studies. At this point it may be of interest to consider new SPS design concepts to use emerging photovoltaic technologies which were not available at the time of the earlier SPS studies. These new technologies, along with improvements in RF and computational solid state electronics, allow the possibility of new and considerably better SPS designs. f Sverdrup Technologies, Inc. NASA Lewis Research Center 302-1, 210000 Brookpark Rd., Cleveland, OH 44135. Power Technology Division, NASA Lewis Research Center 302-1, 210000 Brookpark Rd., Cleveland, OH 44135.
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