Solar Power Satellites

[Vultur]

Space Solar and Transition Labs to deliver space-based solar power to Iceland by 2030 [Oct 23]

Iceland seems like a perfect market. I've thought for a while that Scandinavia (and to a lesser degree Canada) is about the ideal use case for space solar power - very high latitude (so terrestrial solar can't work in winter), interested in green energy/decarbonization, high per capita income, and lacking the geopolitical problems of Russia.

[Eric Hedman]

All of this seems like grasping at straws struggling to make work a technology that people fell in love with without any solid business case.  I would be surprised if anyone in the private investment world invests significant capital in this in the next fifteen to twenty years.

[Asteroza]

Space Solar and Transition Labs to deliver space-based solar power to Iceland by 2030 [Oct 23]

Iceland seems like a perfect market. I've thought for a while that Scandinavia (and to a lesser degree Canada) is about the ideal use case for space solar power - very high latitude (so terrestrial solar can't work in winter), interested in green energy/decarbonization, high per capita income, and lacking the geopolitical problems of Russia.

The 30MW bit is the odd part though. That likely leaves out a GEO demo/initial capability if using the traditional SPS RF frequencies as that favors GW class sats. A CASSIOPeiA style design can be used in non-GEO orbits though but at reduced duty cycle, but what kind of constellation and orbit achieves a 24 hour 30MW initial capability (assuming it really is 24/7 initially to begin with). I suppose a single 30MW sat for a single hour in some SSO orbit would fit for initial capability, then flesh out the constellation to 24/7 capability for Iceland?

[Asteroza]

Raytheon is playing with a microwave frequency power beamer

https://www.rtx.com/news/news-center/2024/11/14/rtxs-raytheon-awarded-u-s-army-contract-for-wireless-power-beaming-technology

Looks like a 1-to-1 beamer to feed remote UGV's patrolling FOB perimeters though, so probably no phased array power share multiplexing like that proposed for some SPS transmitters. Still, it's nice to see the RF side of power beaming maturing some more.

Still, we haven't heard from Jeff Greason and Electric Sky in a while so I wonder what they're up to...
http://www.el-sky.com/


As opposed to Powerlight Technologies (formerly Lasermotive, the space elevator climber competition winner), who are doing laser power beaming (also working with Raytheon on lunar stuff)

https://powerlighttech.com/