The last study, however, modified this position because it made it clear that a series of microwave experiments could be performed quite quickly and inexpensively using the Ariane Structure for Auxiliary Payloads (called ASAP). As is known, Ariane 4, the European commercial launcher, has been designed to carry, on top of its transfer stage, in addition to its main payload, a structure (the so-called ASAP) supporting a series of up to 6 microsatellites, each with a mass of some 50 kg and dimensions of the order of 50 cm. This system has already been used several times to launch microsats, usually on polar orbits (but geostationary transfer orbits can also be used). In the above-mentioned report, an initial reference concept for microwave demonstrations is presented in detail. It consists in using five or six positions on the ASAP ring, enabling an equivalent demonstrator mass of up to 200 kg. These 200 kg would in turn be used to install a transmitter and a target, that would be used for testing the efficiency of energy transfer by microwaves, and, in particular, testing the critical point, ie. the ability to control a microwave beam distorted by non-linear space plasma interaction in low Earth orbit. To do this, a small tether system would be used to deploy and maintain at a distance of 0.25 to 1.5 km an inflatable 12.5 m rectenna pointed at the transmission system, that would remain secured to the ASAP. Travelling wave tubes working at 12 GHz would be used as a source, with a reflector that could also be of the inflatable type. Power would be supplied from a high-power lithium battery. Depending on whether a fixed or inflatable reflector is used, it is estimated that around 5600 W can be transmitted between 0.25 and 1.5 km at 60% transmission efficiency. The total cost of the initial demonstrator would be of the order of 10 million accounting units, spread over 4 or 5 years.
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