Space-based solar power becoming a reality?

[Anselm]

Generating power up in space would be most useful right there running future orbiting labs, hotels, telescopes, factories and space elevators.  These are the things we were told back in the 1960's would be existing by today.

[jimbogumbo]

I am confident this will happen in my lifetime. And, I'm assuming the type of innovation mentioned by Hibush above will make it possible. Not planning on the nightmare that marsh is describing. Microwave beaming would be seriously dangerous.

marshwiggle: I meant energy production (not communications) for geosynchronous.

[marshwiggle]

I am confidant this will happen in my lifetime. And, I'm assuming the type of innovation mentioned by Hibush above will make it possible. Not planning on the nightmare that marsh is describing. Microwave beaming would be seriously dangerous.

marshwiggle: I meant energy production (not communications) for geosynchronous.

I think Hibush was making a point. :)

Microwaves are no worse than any other way of getting that intensity of power to a target on Earth. The problem is the William Tell problem. Instead of a guy with a rifle, it's a guy with a machine gun, who's going to be firing continuously for the forseeable future. The ways that could go catastrophically wrong are legion.

[jimbogumbo]

I am confidant this will happen in my lifetime. And, I'm assuming the type of innovation mentioned by Hibush above will make it possible. Not planning on the nightmare that marsh is describing. Microwave beaming would be seriously dangerous.

marshwiggle: I meant energy production (not communications) for geosynchronous.

I think Hibush was making a point. :)

Microwaves are no worse than any other way of getting that intensity of power to a target on Earth. The problem is the William Tell problem. Instead of a guy with a rifle, it's a guy with a machine gun, who's going to be firing continuously for the forseeable future. The ways that could go catastrophically wrong are legion.

I'm not envisioning phasers:) I'm thinking something far more physical as storage. We are at the bottom of the gravity well (to channel Heinlein).

Of course Anselm is right re being useful right there. I'm assuming that we as a species will be trying lots of things. Colonies at Trojan points for example.

[marshwiggle]

I am confidant this will happen in my lifetime. And, I'm assuming the type of innovation mentioned by Hibush above will make it possible. Not planning on the nightmare that marsh is describing. Microwave beaming would be seriously dangerous.

marshwiggle: I meant energy production (not communications) for geosynchronous.

I think Hibush was making a point. :)

Microwaves are no worse than any other way of getting that intensity of power to a target on Earth. The problem is the William Tell problem. Instead of a guy with a rifle, it's a guy with a machine gun, who's going to be firing continuously for the forseeable future. The ways that could go catastrophically wrong are legion.

I'm not envisioning phasers:) I'm thinking something far more physical as storage. We are at the bottom of the gravity well (to channel Heinlein).

But if we have to get those "physical storage" things out to the panels, then we have to lift them out of the gravity well. It's a zero-sum (gravitationally speaking) game.

[secundem_artem]

All I know is that by now, we were all supposed to be getting about in flying cars.  I don't know what's worse - all the techno libertarians or the techno utopians.  Must be something in the water at Stanford.  Maybe they can also create a crypto currency to pay for it all - lightly regulated, magic internet money that lives in the cloud, seems to be prone to fraud and people "losing the keys to the wallet"  and is entirely dependent on "the greater fool" theory to be of any value.

[jimbogumbo]

I am confidant this will happen in my lifetime. And, I'm assuming the type of innovation mentioned by Hibush above will make it possible. Not planning on the nightmare that marsh is describing. Microwave beaming would be seriously dangerous.

marshwiggle: I meant energy production (not communications) for geosynchronous.

I think Hibush was making a point. :)

Microwaves are no worse than any other way of getting that intensity of power to a target on Earth. The problem is the William Tell problem. Instead of a guy with a rifle, it's a guy with a machine gun, who's going to be firing continuously for the forseeable future. The ways that could go catastrophically wrong are legion.

I'm not envisioning phasers:) I'm thinking something far more physical as storage. We are at the bottom of the gravity well (to channel Heinlein).

But if we have to get those "physical storage" things out to the panels, then we have to lift them out of the gravity well. It's a zero-sum (gravitationally speaking) game.

Don't make me say "duh". I'm suggesting lifting something and getting more back in return, or manufacturing the something in orbit.

[jimbogumbo]

All I know is that by now, we were all supposed to be getting about in flying cars.  I don't know what's worse - all the techno libertarians or the techno utopians.  Must be something in the water at Stanford.  Maybe they can also create a crypto currency to pay for it all - lightly regulated, magic internet money that lives in the cloud, seems to be prone to fraud and people "losing the keys to the wallet"  and is entirely dependent on "the greater fool" theory to be of any value.

I'm nowhere close to a techno utopian. The advances in technology the last 40 years have been extraordinary without needing to think like that.

Here you go with your flying car: https://www.engadget.com/united-airlines-flying-taxi-eve-air-mobility-embrarer-162205301.html

[marshwiggle]

I am confidant this will happen in my lifetime. And, I'm assuming the type of innovation mentioned by Hibush above will make it possible. Not planning on the nightmare that marsh is describing. Microwave beaming would be seriously dangerous.

marshwiggle: I meant energy production (not communications) for geosynchronous.

I think Hibush was making a point. :)

Microwaves are no worse than any other way of getting that intensity of power to a target on Earth. The problem is the William Tell problem. Instead of a guy with a rifle, it's a guy with a machine gun, who's going to be firing continuously for the forseeable future. The ways that could go catastrophically wrong are legion.

I'm not envisioning phasers:) I'm thinking something far more physical as storage. We are at the bottom of the gravity well (to channel Heinlein).

But if we have to get those "physical storage" things out to the panels, then we have to lift them out of the gravity well. It's a zero-sum (gravitationally speaking) game.

Don't make me say "duh". I'm suggesting lifting something and getting more back in return, or manufacturing the something in orbit.

From what? if we have to take the material to orbit, then we have the same problem. If we're going to catch comets or something, then all of them that we eventually drop to the earth are going to add mass to the planet. (If this power generation is ongoing, then the planet will start to slow its spinning. If you think the amount will be too small to matter, that's what we thought about pollution, and mining, and....)

[jimbogumbo]

From what?

Photons:)

[jimbogumbo]

This one doesn't fly, but look at it! Yowza!

https://aptera.us

[dismalist]

This one doesn't fly, but look at it! Yowza!

https://aptera.us

Here's the thing with technology already known:

Electric Cars

[jimbogumbo]

How about these? There are bunches of them already out there. https://www.arcimoto.com

[dismalist]

How about these? There are bunches of them already out there. https://www.arcimoto.com

Battery powered. Inferior technology. Pave the world with catenary. :-)

[Hibush]

I am confidant this will happen in my lifetime. And, I'm assuming the type of innovation mentioned by Hibush above will make it possible. Not planning on the nightmare that marsh is describing. Microwave beaming would be seriously dangerous.

marshwiggle: I meant energy production (not communications) for geosynchronous.

I think Hibush was making a point. :)

Too subtle, apparently, but thanks for noticing.