Solar Power Satellites as an Alternative Energy Source

Energy is the most crucial problem as we near the next century. Collecting solar power in space and beaming it to earth could possibly be much more efficient than collecting solar energy on earth. An SPS (solar power satellite) would be expensive to build but would then provide cheap energy. There are three possible ways of beaming energy from a satellite to a collector in a remote area — microwaves, lasers, and concentrated light — but they all have drawbacks. Since solar power satellites were last seriously studied in the U. S. in 1979, the Japanese and Soviets have made advances in SPS technology. There are many possible steps to take to build an SPS. A lunar base and "power tower" would provide materials to build an SPS. Although a solar power satellite is many years away and would take much effort to build, it would provide much needed clean efficient energy.