Space Solar Power

(SSP, also know as Space-Based Solar Power, or SBSP)

The United States and the world need to find new sources of clean energy. Space Solar Power gathers energy from sunlight in space and transmits it wirelessly to Earth. Space solar power can solve our energy and greenhouse gas emissions problems. Not just help, not just take a step in the right direction, but solve. Space solar power can provide large quantities of energy to each and every person on Earth with very little environmental impact.

The solar energy available in space is literally billions of times greater than we use today. The lifetime of the sun is an estimated 4-5 billion years, making space solar power a truly long-term energy solution. As Earth receives only one part in 2.3 billion of the Sun's output, space solar power is by far the largest potential energy source available, dwarfing all others combined. Solar energy is routinely used on nearly all spacecraft today. This technology on a larger scale, combined with already demonstrated wireless power transmission (see 2-minute video of demo), can supply nearly all the electrical needs of our planet.

Another need is to move away from fossil fuels for our transportation system. While electricity powers few vehicles today, hybrids will soon evolve into plug-in hybrids which can use electric energy from the grid. As batteries, super-capacitors, and fuel cells improve, the gasoline engine will gradually play a smaller and smaller role in transportation — but only if we can generate the enormous quantities of electrical energy we need. It doesn't help to remove fossil fuels from vehicles if you just turn around and use fossil fuels again to generate the electricity to power those vehicles.

The ISDC Space Solar Power Symposium promises to be a highlight of the conference. Some of the prominent space solar power researchers who will be participating are:

• John Mankins (Artemis Innovation}, Chair
• Dallas G. Bienhoff (Boeing}
• Wayne Finger (RS and H}
• Joe Howell (NASA, MSFC, retired}
• Feng Hsu (Space Energy Group}
• Alex Ignatiev (University of Houston}
• Femi Ishola (University of Lagos, Nigeria}
• Paul Jaffe (NRL}
• Nobuyuki Kaya (Kobe University}
• Keith Lofstrom (Oregon IEEE Consultants Network}
• Bob MacDonald (SPACE Canada}
• Seth Potter (Boeing}
• James R. Powell (maglev 2000}
• Stan Rosen (Boeing}
• Susumu Sasaki (ISAS/JAXA}
• Mike Snead
• Frank Steinsiek (EADS Astrium}
• John Strickland
• Gordon Woodcock (Boeing, retired}
• Robert Wegeng (PNNL}

A preliminary Space Solar Power Symposium Program Guide is available in PDF format:
Space Solar Power Symposium Guide PDF

Space solar power can provide the needed clean power for any future electric transportation system.