Japan Plans Giant Solar Power Station In Space

icon gravatar.comwww.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/solarpower/6536752/Japan-pl...
sent by OrpRam since 90 days 21 hours 35 minutes, published about 90 days 15 hours 33 minutes
The plan is to create a miles-wide array of photovoltaic panels, like the solar panels used on Earth, and place it in a geostationary orbit. - Solar rays are at least five times as powerful in space as they are at ground level, allowing the huge panels to gather vast quantities of energy. -- A report by researchers at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries said: "Since solar power is a clean and inexhaustible energy source, we believe that this system will be able to help solve the problems of energy shortage and global warming. "The sun's rays abound in space." Once collected, the solar energy would be beamed down to a substation on Earth, using laser beams or microwaves.
tags: grd-oil-coal-plltn-env-co2-alt e-solar-sci-sustnbl
7 commentscategory: The World karma: 169

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  1. #1    One slight problem. a gigawatt beam of laser or microwave is going to burn the air it passes through, continuosly. And you wouldn't be able to find the remains of any bird that flew into it.
    This idea has been batted around since the 60s and that delivery problem has defeated it every time.
    But, you know, it would be one #ell of a weapon. Light up a Presidential Palace like Fourth of July, just before it vaporizes.
    written by CwV since 90 days 20 hours 44 minutesCwV
  2. #2    Ultimate hacker target? Hope it all works perfectly the first time and nothing fails, impossible to repair in that high orbit. Bet it never happens.
    written by gsfish since 90 days 14 hours 23 minutesgsfish
  3. #3    I'm still waiting for my flying car!
    written by Bladerunner since 90 days 12 hours 12 minutesBladerunner
  4. #4    Think about that for a second, Bladerunner. Think of all the idjits that you see on the freeway, all the agressives, the drunks, the droolers, et cetera. Do you really want them FLYING? Bad enough on the ground. Chaos in 3D.
    written by CwV since 90 days 5 hours 8 minutesCwV
  5. #5    #4 - Yeah, but we were promised flying cars!
    written by Dano2112a since 90 days 22 minutesDano2112a
  6. #6    We were also promised a Peace Dividend at the end of the Cold War.
    I'm holding out for transporters.
    written by CwV since 90 days 21 minutesCwV
  7. #7    "Transporters"? Where would you want to go? All the great places would instantly become unbearably overcrowded.

    Besides, some of the best 'transporters' are slow lazy trips through beautiful scenery.

    The kind of transporter I worry about are the kind bearing bombs. We don't need hidden bombs being shipped here by unknown parties. One big bomb shipped from, say England, and exploded in Boston, NYC, Philly or Miami and we would instantly become ultra-isolated, paranoid, fearful and militaristic (uh, even moreso than now).
    written by MarkH since 89 days 21 hours 57 minutesMarkH
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