PCAST Public Statement on Space Solar Power

Readers of this blog know that Open.gov's #1 public suggestion for NASA, DOE, and OSTP was to hold a conference on Space-Based Solar Power   OSTP administers the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST)

President Obama specifically tasked the PCAST with providing him with Energy related scientific advice, including: "But energy is our great project, this generation's great project. And that's why I've set a goal for our nation that we will reduce our carbon pollution by more than 80 percent by 2050... I will charge PCAST with advising me about national strategies to nurture and sustain a culture of scientific innovation."

PCAST recently had a meeting where Mr. John Mankins, President of Artemis Innovation Solutions gave a public statement.  

Mr. Mankins has a 25-year career at NASA and JPL, including 10 years as the manager of Advanced Concepts Studies at NASA, and was the manager of Exploration Systems Research and Technlogy overseeing nearly a billion dollar budget of over 100 individual projects and some 3000 personnel.  

Check out what he had to say about Space Solar Power:

COMMENTS TO THE PRESIDENT’S COUNCIL OF ADVISORS ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY WRITTEN STATEMENT

An Opportunity for Transformation: Space Solar Power

16 July 2010

John C. Mankins President, Artemis Innovation Management Solutions LLC1

To meet the challenges of Energy and the Environment in an increasingly interdependent and competitive world, novel policies and systems concepts must be pursued. Space activities are not generally considered as relevant to these global challenges outside of Earth observing, global positioning, and the like.

However, this may be an oversight of great significance.  

A space program goal that could--if achieved--radically change the dynamic for renewable energy is that of space solar power: the capability to deliver on demand energy gathered in space to global markets almost continuously.

Unfortunately, as things now stand the US can scarcely even consider this revolutionary goal. No Agency combines the right mix of responsibilities for security, space development, U.S. energy needs, and international relations. DOE is responsible for energy, not space. NASA is responsible for space and aeronautics, not energy. And so on. And with constrained budgets no Agency is looking to add additional goals to their current responsibilities.

Also, some believe the concept of space solar power is impossible. Such views are based largely on conviction, not engineering. Not for more than a decade has there been in the US a systematic, end--to--end study of the concept, nor any meaningful R&D.

And look how far non--space technology has progressed in the past 10 years. Why should space solar power be impossible, except that it is that we have assumed it is so. Basing policies and programs on such assumptions is no recipe for innovation.  

In fact, in 2000 an independent National Research Council review committee found that space solar power was already then technically feasible and that the only R&D issues to resolve involve the question of eventual economic viability. 

The revolutionary new systems concept that could enable space solar power is that of intelligent modular systems building truly enormous future space capabilities out of many hundreds and thousands of smaller component systems. This concept applies to space the principals and architectures of networked systems from hives of bees to cloud computing.

Of course, diverse new technologies still in the laboratory must be proven for space solar power in wireless power transmission, robotics, materials, electronics, and other areas. And numerous new supporting infrastructures will be needed, including low cost launch, affordable in-- space transportation, and others. But, recall how the steam engine changed the world and it was first fabricated from known materials by adult craftsmen working in existing shops. Similar systems--level revolutions resulted from internal combustion, electrification, and heavier than air flight. Although innumerable breakthroughs followed, the beginnings of each lay in new concepts, visionary investments and focused development. 

In the same way, no breakthroughs are required to build the first space solar power pilot plants.

I believe that in a decade or less, the first space solar power pilot plant could be in orbit, delivering to people in multiple countries both clean energy, and a new vision of the interconnectedness of space and Earth. And that within a generation, space solar power could be established as a competitive green energy source in markets worldwide.

Certainly, a revolution in technology, such as space solar power is urgently needed one that would allow the US, working with others to deliver by mid century 100s of thousands of megawatts of carbon--free power to global markets.

The concept of space solar power is under consideration in several countries around the world, ranging from India where key groups and a former President have proposed an international study of the idea, to Japan where space solar power is already an official goal of the Japanese space program. This is a unique moment when the US could demonstrate critical, catalytic leadership working with friends around the world to explore an already technically feasible but fundamentally new and sustainable source of energy.

I urge the PCAST to give consideration to space solar power as a prospective national--level goal that could enhance and engage the best of U.S. government competencies, business capabilities and international relations.

Thank you for this opportunity to present these views to the Council. A copy of my oral statement to the PCAST is appended, as are extensive references on the topic of space solar power.

Appendix 2 Discussion Points for OSTP / PCAST Public Statement

Meeting the dual challenges of Energy and the Environment in an interdependent and competitive world demands novel policies and systems concepts. Space activities are not generally considered as relevant to these global challenges outside of Earth observing, global positioning, and the like.

However, this may be an oversight of great significance.

A space program goal that could if achieved radically change the dynamic for renewable energy internationally is that of space solar power: the capability to deliver on demand energy gathered in space to global markets almost continuously.

Unfortunately, as things now stand the US can scarcely even consider this revolutionary goal. No Agency combines the right mix of responsibilities for security, space development, U.S. energy, and international relations. The DOE is responsible for energy, not space. NASA is responsible for space and aeronautics, not energy. And so on.

And, some believe space solar power is impossible. However, such views are based largely on conviction, not engineering. For over a decade the US has conducted no systematic, end--to--end study of this concept, nor any meaningful R&D.

Of course, diverse technologies must be proven for space solar power in wireless power transmission, robotics, and other areas. But, recall how the steam engine changed the world and it was first fabricated from known materials by craftsmen working in existing shops.

In a decade or less, the first space solar power pilot plant could be in orbit, delivering to people in multiple countries clean energy, and a new vision of the interconnectedness of space and Earth.  

Clearly, a revolution is needed one that can enable the US, working with others to deliver by mid century 100s of thousands of megawatts of carbon--free power to global markets. 

I urge the PCAST to give consideration to space solar power as a prospective national--level goal that could enhance and engage the best of U.S. government competencies, business capabilities and international relations.

1 For additional Information, please contact: John C. Mankins; President, Artemis Innovation Management Solutions LLC; P.O. Box

6660, Santa Maria, California

93456 USA; email: john.c.mankins@artemisinnovation.com; website: http://www.artemisinnovation.com.

Appendix 1 Selected Bibliography of Relevant References Key References

Feingold, Harvey, et al, Space Solar Power A Fresh Look at the Feasibility of Generating Solar Power in Space for Use on Earth (SAIC; Schaumberg, Illinois, USA). 02 April 1997.

Glaser, Peter, Ph.D.; Method and Apparatus for Converting Solar Radiation to Electrical Power.(US Patent No. 3,781,647; U.S. Patent and Trademark Office; Washington, D.C.)

25 December 1973.

Howell, Joseph T. and Mankins, John C., Highly Reusable Space Transportation A Summary Report; Retrospective 2009 (Presented at the International Symposium on Solar Energy from Space / IAA SPS 2009 Workshop; Toronto, Canada). 8--11 September 2009.

Mankins, John C. and Kaya, Nobuyuki, A Report On The Status of the IAA Study Group on Solar Energy from Space, IAC--C3.1.1 (Presented at the 60th International Astronautical Congress; Daejeon, Republic of Korea). October 2009.

Mankins, John C. and Howell, Joseph T.; Overview of the Space Solar Power Exploratory Research and Technology Program ---- AIAA 2000--3060 (35th Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference; Las Vegas, Nevada USA). 24--28 July 2000.

National Research Council, Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board, Committee for the Assessment of NASA's Space Solar Power Investment Strategy, Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board, Laying the Foundation for Space Solar Power: An Assessment of NASA's Space Solar Power Investment Strategy. (National Academies Press; Washington, D.C. USA). 2001.

Additional References

Brandhorst, Henry; Megawatt SEPS and Mars Exploration(International Symposium on Solar Energy from Space / SPS 2009 at the Ontario Science Center; Toronto, Canada). 810 September 2009.

Criswell, David R., Power Collection and Transmission System and Method

(US Patent No. 3,781,647; U.S. Patent and Trademark Office; Washington, D.C.)

28 May 1991.

Commercial Space Transportation Study Team, Commercial Space Transport Study Final Report,(Distributed by W. Piland, NASA Langley Research Center; Hampton, Virginia; USA). April 1994.

Ignatiev, Alex, Ph.D., Opportunities to Employ Lunar Surface Materials in a Future Space Solar Power Economy, (Presented at the International Symposium on Solar Energy from Space / IAA SPS 2009 Workshop; Toronto, Canada). 8--11 September 2009.

Kaya, Nobuyuki; Mankins, John C.; Iwashita, Masashi; Little, Frank; and Marzwell, Neville; Hawaii Demonstation of Microwave Beam Control, supported by the Discovery Channel; (International Symposium on Solar Energy from Space / SPS 2009 at the Ontario Science Center; Toronto, Canada). 8--10 September 2009.

Kaya, Nobuyuki, et al.; Crawling Robots On Large Web In Rocket Experiment On Furoshiki Deployment (55th International Astronautical Congress; Vancouver, Canada). 2004.

Mankins, John C., Space Solar Power: A Fresh Look, AIAA

95--3653 (Presented at the 1995 AIAA Space Programs and Technologies Conference, Huntsville, Alabama). September 1995.

Penn, Jay, and Law, Glenn, Future SSP Systems Concepts: the Laser Option.

Commercial and Military Applications, (Presented at the International Symposium on Solar Energy from Space / IAA SPS 2009 Workshop; Toronto, Canada).

8--11 September 2009.

Mankins, John C., A Technical Overview Of The SunTower Solar Power Satellite Concept (IAF--97--R.2.08; 38th International Astronautical Federation, Turin, Italy)

6--10 October 1997.

Mankins, John C.; An Affordable Lunar Launch Concept: MagLifter on the Moon

(revisiting the Lunatron); (International Symposium on Solar Energy from Space / SPS

2009 at the Ontario Science Center; Toronto, Canada).

8--10 September 2009.

Mankins, John C.; Technology Readiness Levels Definitions (White Paper NASA Headquarters; Washington, D.C.; USA). 1995.

Mankins, John C.; Research & Development Degree of Difficulty A White Paper

(White Paper, Advanced Projects Office, NASA Headquarters; Washington, D.C.; USA).

10 March1998. McSpadden, James; Advances in RF Wireless Power Transmission;

(International Symposium on Solar Energy from Space / SPS 2009 at the Ontario Science Center; Toronto, Canada). 8--10 September 2009.

Mihara, Shoichiro; Fuse, Yoshiharu; Saito, Takashi, and Ijichi, Koichi; WPT Technology Demonstration Options at USEF; (International Symposium on Solar Energy from Space / SPS 2009 at the Ontario Science Center; Toronto, Canada). 8--10 September 2009.

Office of Technology Assessment, US Congress; Solar Power Satellites. (Washington DC.) 1981.

Powell, James, R., Maise, George and Rather, John, Maglev Launch An Ultra Low Cost Way to Deploy Space Solar Power Systems (Presented at the International Symposium on Solar Energy from Space / IAA SPS 2009Workshop; Toronto, Canada).

8--11 September 2009.

Russia and Space Solar Power

From: Science & Technology Overview Russia Dec '09
Science&Technology Unit, Embassy of Switzerland in Moscow


Time To Build Space Solar Power Plants
The Russian science news agency Informnauka claims that more and more attention is drawn by scientists in Russia to the use of solar energy including the creation of space solar power plants. The researchers at the Lavochkin Scientific Production Association Federal State Unitary Enterprise suggest a new principle for building such power plants.  The researchers propose to give up the idea of building extremely large constructions and to place the solar accumulators and transmitting antennas on a system of autonomous satellites controlled via a piloting signal from the Earth.  They suppose to use the short-wave range of microwave frequency up to millimetric radio waves for the antenna, which will provide an opportunity to form narrow beams in the outer space with the minimal size of generators and amplifiers. Small generators will allow to reduce the size of receiving antennas by a factor of ten.  Interestingly, the researchers plan to place them on captive balloons at a height of 4.000 km. Such location will ensure that the molecular oxygen will not absorb the millimetric radio waves.  Moreover, a captive balloon can be put anywhere in any region.  The beams of individual satellite antennas should converge at the spot of the receiving antenna location. Each autonomous satellite will present a single element of a large antenna field comprised of a fleet of such spacecrafts. To deploy this project, a rather large photoemitting panel which transforms solar radiation directly into microwave energy is required. Capabilities of modern space-rocket hardware make it possible to build spacecrafts equipped with the panels up to 500 м2 in size in the nearest term. Today, the photoconverter efficiency reaches 60 per cent. Perhaps, by the time the experimental design works to build space solar power plants commence such converters will be produced industrially.  It will take quite a lot of effort. The researchers will have to create a semiconductor structure capable not only of transforming solar energy but also radiating it in the microwave range at the same time. A control system to operate the automatic spacecrafts should be developed as it will allow to form an integrated antenna field of single satellites. The experts believe that in order to address the issues of a future energy crisis and to keep up with the developed countries, Russia must begin the research today.
Sources:
RUSSIAN SCIENCE NEWS, PARK-MEDIA, 29.12.2009, www.informnauka.ru, article on the basis of a publication in
Russia Electronic Scientific Magazine by V. K. Sysoev, G. M. Polishchuk, K. M. Pichkhadze “The Solar Space Power
Plant: The Choice Of Solution.” , http://zhurnal.ape.relarn.ru/articles/2009/050.pdf
Contact for further information: Valentin Sysoev, Doctor of Technics, assistant director of the Federal State
Unitary Enterprise of Lavochkin Scientific Production Association, Khimki; sysoev@laspace.ru

Atlantis Research Announces International Collegiate Solar Power Satellite Design Competition!

Atlantis Research, sponsor of the Space Settlement Design competition is excited to announce it will host and sponsor the International collegiate Solar Power Satellite Design Competition.  The Contest would be open to all Undergraduate and Graduate students from across the globe. The preliminary round or the qualifying round would be announced in the first week of February. Registrations would begin with the announcements. The RFP shall be made available to the participants from February 10, 2010, with the finals (live competition) round being held August 6, 2010 to August 8, 2010.  The competition structure will be:

• Max. 8 member teams
• The registration fees for the competition would be USD 120 per international team, and Rs. 5500 per team for Indian teams.
• Prize money for the winning team would be USD 2000.
• 8 teams in all would be invited from the world over for the final round. We might be able increase this number depending upon how much support we are able to gather.
• Atlantis expects some 200 teams to register world-wide.

Atlantis is currently seeking volunteer 20 volunteer judges to review the student proposals and serve as competition judges.

Interested judges or sponsors may contact Atlantis Education at:

Abhishek Agarwal

Email: rickeverest@gmail.com

Ph (India): +91 97170 01231

Ph (US): +1 713 397 0781

Director

Atlantis Frontiers Edutainment Pvt. Ltd.

Ground Floor, K 4/5

DLF Phase II, Gurgaon - 122002

Off: +91 124 4009 936 / 37 / 38 / 39 / 40

Fax: +91 124 4009 935

Website: http://www.atlantisfrontiers.com

Space Based Solar Power on TED

Peter Sage from SpaceEnergy lays out the case for Space Based Solar Power




http://spacemovement.blogspot.com/2009/11/peter-sage-speaks-on-ssp-at-ted.html
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Space-Solar-Power/95417219921
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_m6tlF901g&feature=player_embedded

Also, Space Solar Power made #1 of WSJ's top "Five Technologies that Could Change Everything":
From: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703746604574461342682276898.html

SPACE-BASED SOLAR POWER

For more than three decades, visionaries have imagined tapping solar power where the sun always shines—in space. If we could place giant solar panels in orbit around the Earth, and beam even a fraction of the available energy back to Earth, they could deliver nonstop electricity to any place on the planet.

Source: New Scientist

Sunlight is reflected off giant orbiting mirrors to an array of photovoltaic cells; the light is converted to electricity and then changed into microwaves, which are beamed to earth. Ground-based antennas capture the microwave energy and convert it back to electricity, which is sent to the grid.

The technology may sound like science fiction, but it's simple: Solar panels in orbit about 22,000 miles up beam energy in the form of microwaves to earth, where it's turned into electricity and plugged into the grid. (The low-powered beams are considered safe.) A ground receiving station a mile in diameter could deliver about 1,000 megawatts—enough to power on average about 1,000 U.S. homes.

The cost of sending solar collectors into space is the biggest obstacle, so it's necessary to design a system lightweight enough to require only a few launches. A handful of countries and companies aim to deliver space-based power as early as a decade from now.

Blogger's Note, as of right now, that list of companies include: 
SpaceEnergy (http://www.solarenspace.com/)
Solaren (http://www.solarenspace.com/)
ManagedEnergy (http://managedenergytech.com/)
Welsom Solar
PowerSat (http://www.powersat.com/)
HelioSat
PlanetPower
Packer Engineering (http://www.packereng.com/services/research_development.html)
Space Island Group http://www.spaceislandgroup.com/solarsat.html)
and several of the major Aerospace and Energy companies have displayed tepid interest.

IAA Space Solar Power Conference in Space Canada is On!

http://www.spacecanada.org/index.php?page=symposium_on_solar_energy

The International Academy of Astronautics, the most prestigious global body on Space Issues and Technology has taken up the study of space solar power!

Note also that the ISRO Chairman, Mr. G. Madhavan Nair has been elected the Chairman of the International Academy Astronautics (IAA), the first Indian and the first non-American to hold the post, and will take over 16 Oct (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/national/madhavan-nair-new-head-iaa-844). Already this year, the IAA did the world a tremendous service by publishing (via the support of ISRO) its book, Dealing with the Threat to Earth of Asteroids and Comets, and holding the first international Planetary Defense Conference in Granada, Spain. We can hope for such great support and promotion for Space Solar Power as a solution to the developing and developed world's concerns about energy security and climate change.

Neither India, the US, Canada or China has a program yet that responds to the Japanese $21 Billion program just announced in Space Solar Power.

Japanese Engineering Groups Join Mega Space Solar Project.

Japanese Engineering Groups Join Mega Space Solar Project.

Bloomberg News (9/1, Sato, Okada) reports, "Mitsubishi Electric Corp. and IHI Corp. will join a 2 trillion yen ($21 billion) Japanese project intending to build a giant solar-power generator in space within three decades and beam electricity to earth." According to Japanese trade ministry, "a research group representing 16 companies, including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., will spend four years developing technology to send electricity without cables in the form of microwaves." Kensuke Kanekiyo, managing director of the Institute of Energy Economics, a government research body, said, "It sounds like a science-fiction cartoon, but solar power generation in space may be a significant alternative energy source in the century ahead as fossil fueldisappears." A document prepared by the trade ministry in August said that " Japan is developing the technology for the 1-gigawatt solar station, fitted with four square kilometers of solar panels, and hopes to have it running in three decades."

ARPA-E Space Solar Power Opportunity

ARPA-E-Announcement <ARPA-E-Announcement@HQ.DOE.GOV> 31-Aug-09 2:29 PM >>>

Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy Techline

ARPA-E Requests Input on Future Funding Opportunities
Washington, DC, August 31, 2009 - The Advanced Research Projects Agency
- Energy (ARPA-E) announced today a formal Request for Information (RFI)
for future funding opportunities. The RFI requests public input on
potential ARPA-E programmatic areas and opportunities to overcome
technological roadblocks to the development of transformational
technologies relevant to the ARPA-E mission. The information collected
through this process will assist ARPA-E in developing new programs and
funding opportunities.

ARPA-E's first Funding Opportunity Announcement, released on April 27,
2009, and solicited a broad range of ideas for transformational energy
technology development. With this RFI, ARPA-E is now reaching out to
the public for input on specific programmatic energy technology areas
that may be well-suited to provide transformational impacts on ARPA-E's
mission areas of reducing foreign energy imports; decreasing energy
related emissions, including those of greenhouse gases; increasing
energy efficiency across the U.S. economy, and ensuring that the U.S.
maintains a technological lead in developing and deploying advanced
energy technologies.

Responses to the RFI are due to ARPA-E by September 25, 2009. To review
the RFI, please visit http://arpa-e.energy.gov/PI.html

Indian Grand Stragegist Calls for Bilateral Space Solar Power

From: http://www.mainstreamweekly.net/article1577.html

Committing to Continuity

Wednesday 19 August 2009, by Namrata Goswami

When Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Hussein Obama emerged as a front-runner in the 2008 US Presidential elections, many in India especially in the policy circles were worried. The argument was that “the George W. Bush Jr years” had been one of the most productive for enhancing US-India strategic relationship after decades of distrust and suspicion. So, the related major question dominating Indian policy discourses was: will a Democratic President continue the upsurge in US-India ties of the Republican years, the jewel of which was the July 18, 2005 Indo-US civilian nuclear deal?

One did not have to wait too long for an answer. It came during US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s four-day visit to India from July 17 to 20, 2009.

On July 20, 2009, the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, and India’s External Affairs Minister, S. M. Krishna, issued a Joint Statement which reaffirmed the commitment of both India and the US to continue the “new heights achieved in the India-US relationship over the last two Indian and US Administrations” and to now start a third transformative phase under the Obama Administration. Both nations also committed to annually hold an “India-US Strategic Dialogue” focusing on bilateral, regional and global issues of common concern. Among the list of stated commitments, the commitment to a “nuclear free world” and “defence cooperation” under the 2005 Defence Co-operation Framework Agreement is exciting to say the least. Nuclear weapons in the South Asian context, while bringing about stability to an extent between India and Pakistan, have not been overtly successful in thwarting acts of terror and “limited wars” especially between the two states (read Kargil and cross-border terrorism). Also, a nuclear free world is perhaps strategically critical to India as its neighbour Pakistan possesses a range of nuclear weapons the security of which is suspect. That nuclear terrorism is a potential threat for India from Pakistan is a critical area of concern for India; and the July 20, 2009 Joint Statement recognises the vital importance of nuclear weapons safety.

The most important aspect of the Joint Statement was the section on “Civil Nuclear Cooperation”. Setting at ease the Indian sceptics of a Democratic Presidential Administration’s commitment to carry on with India what the former Republican Administration agreed to with regard to the reprocessing of procedures under Article 6 (iii) of the 123 Agreement, the Joint Statement made a commitment to do just that. In fact, on July 21, 2009, President Obama submitted his first report to Congress on the July 18, 2005 Indo-US Civilian Nuclear Deal stating that it had opened up new pathways for serious talks on non-proliferation between the US and India.

It is rather clear by now that the July 20, 2009 Joint Statement reflects the fact that the US recognises India as an important actor in the international system and will like to see it as an ally on issues of global importance especially in the economic sphere. The US is India’s largest trading partner investing around US $ 10 billion while India has also increased its stakes by investing heavily in the US economy (US $ 3.7 billion in 2008). The nuclear reactor market is very enticing to the US as India is aiming to import 24 nuclear reactors in the next 10-15 years, creating “as many as 20,000 new jobs in the US from nuclear trade”, according to a Confederation of Indian Industry report. India also intends to replace 125 of its aging Soviet fighter planes and the US is competing with Russia, France and Britain to win for itself the multi-million dollar deal.

•

WHILE all these seem rather encouraging in terms of upgrading the strategic partnership between India and the US, bottlenecks on issues like climate change and nuclear proliferation can create obstacles for a smooth sail in the near future. The July 20, 2009 Joint Statement was rather ambiguous regarding the nature of non-proliferation sought from India by the US in relation to its nuclear weapons capability. It was also vague regarding the commitment that the US was willing to give to ensure that India’s neighbours, especially Pakistan, over which it has a disproportionate level of influence, will not be used as a ground for terror training aimed at India.

When it comes to hardcore state relations, it will be perhaps prudent on India’s part to clearly state its intentions from an enhanced defence cooperation with the US given the fact that China, and not the US, shares a physical border with India. China has the potential to do mischief in volatile areas like North-East India and Kashmir. So is the case with Pakistan. Also, following as it does so close on the heels of the G-20 summit where India appeared to be leaning more towards China and Russia, this kind of overt posturing with the US by India sends out mixed and ambiguous signals to countries like Brazil, China and Russia with whom India has a lot at stake given the nature of their economies and development commonalities with India.

At the realm of technology, while the Joint Statement clearly reiterated both the US and India’s commitment to high technology cooperation in the field of space launch vehicles, FutureGen project, Integrated Ocean Development, nano-technology, civil nuclear technology etc., one fails to decipher what these mean in terms of India’s mass population and poverty ratios. How are nano-technology transfers or civil nuclear technology going to provide energy to India’s energy starved millions? High-sounding policy statements need to be more specific on commitments to their own population.

The section on “Energy Security, Environment and Climate Change” did refer to renewable energies like solar (perhaps the most viable in terms of energy to the rural masses in India) but it appeared as an afterthought. The Renewable Energy Partnership between India and the US, as currently being defined by the Obama Administration and UPA Government, should not just deal with tactical issues of today, but include long-term advanced energy concepts such as Space-Based Solar Power which will broadly push for strategic, rather than just tactical, cooperation across a host of major dialogues. Given the analyses of government projections of both countries, India is projected to have 4.4x the absolute renewable energy market from now till 2030. Hence, the section on renewables should have formed a vital component of the Joint Statement in view of its significance to both countries, especially India.

India also needs to pressurise the US for greater participation in the future civil space regime. Aerospace contains some of India’s greatest talent, and it needs to be brought to bear on the energy sector.

And consider:

Even if the particular technology does not pan out, it will

—create a flurry of activity and discussion around advanced energy, space, and long-term thinking;

—create a bilateral network that will be very useful in the future;

—will put further pressure on the US to reconsider its International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) policies;

—elevate both nations’ thinking to grander ideas;

—inspire a lot of youth;

—further mature ground solar energy by bringing in additional talent from the Aerospace Sector;

—create informed opinion on how to meet India’s energy needs for its own population.

Hence, while it is a welcome sign that the Obama Administration and UPA Government (in its second term) have committed to continue enhanced strategic partnership, it is vital that India raises the stakes in some of the issues of vital interest to its own stability and prosperity.

Dr Namrata Goswami is a Visiting Research Fellow, Centre for Dialogue, La Trobe University, Melbourne, and Associate Fellow, Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi.

Honda Showcases Space Solar Power

See the Movie Transportation 2088: http://dreams.honda.com/#/video_mo

Features the thoughts of Orson Scott Card, and Ben Bova and Darel Preble discuss Space Solar Power Satellites.

Does SSP have supporters? See this list:

Who has been supportive of establishing a program in SSP, and what they have said in public:

1) From the Space Enterprise Council (SEC) [then under US Chamber] white paper, 2008:
…the urgency of energy needs requires ongoing Federal investment in a balanced portfolio of alternative energy research programs, which should include study of SBSP. Major technical progress already achieved in SBSP-related technologies strengthens the case for including SBSP in the mix of alternative sources to explore...Beyond enhancement of energy production per se, SBSP might help create new economic opportunities through resultant technology advances in space launch, space utilization, and technological spin-offs applicable to a host of materials and processes...For example, SBSP research might lead to improvements in the efficiency of solar cells that power communications satellites, as well as power management systems for terrestrial solar power systems...Also, to the extent that SBSP is integrated into terrestrial solar power production, development of SBSP ground infrastructure might generate revenue even before deployment of systems in space. In this and related applications, SBSP could emerge as an enhancement for, rather than a competitor with, terrestrial solar power generation.
http://www.nss.org/settlement/ ssp/library/2008- SECSpaceBasedSolarPowerWhitePa per.pdf

2) From the Abbey-Lane / Baker Institute Report, Maximizing NASA's Potential In Flight and On the Ground: Recommendations for the Next Administration, 2009:

Recommendation 3: Deliver longer-term payoffs (within four to eight years) for energy and the environment…As a potential long-term energy solution, an effort would be made to demonstrate—initially on a small scale—wireless power transmission from space to Earth using shuttle and ISS…this concept has made major strides since its inception …Demonstrating space solar power on a small scale would help us better understand what would need to be done to utilize this concept for electrical power needs.
http://www.bakerinstitute.org/ publications/SPACE-pub- ObamaTransitionAbbeyLaneMurato re-012009.pdf

3) From the Buzz Aldrin / ATWG Policy Statement on NSS Blog
Bush VSE missed (or lacked) almost entirely any strategic vision and goals for supporting and enabling space-based human economic expansion or industrialization in space.
…proposed cabinet-level U.S. Department of Space (DOS), as discussed earlier, should manage and take charge of the government functions of supporting and incubating space-based industrial capability and transportation infrastructure development
…investing in SBSP (space based solar power) and space tourism infrastructures as a significant part of the national space economy and energy programs—is the choice of a strategic space goal that certainly will re-ignite the American spirit
http://blog.nss.org/?p=360

4) National Space Society (NSS), [largest Space Advocacy organization] Position Paper

The National Space Society believes that one of the most important long-term solutions for meeting those energy needs is Space Solar Power (SSP), which gathers energy from sunlight in space and sends it to Earth. We believe that SSP can solve our energy and greenhouse gas emissions problems.
http://www.nss.org/ legislative/positions/NSS-SSP- PositionPaper.pdf

5) The Space Frontier Foundation (SFF) [most significant space entrepreneur organization] Position
A fundamental challenge in this century is how to provide for the world's growing energy needs. In meeting this challenge, it is vital that we protect the Earth's fragile biosphere. Space Solar Power, or SSP, may be part of the energy solution. SSP could be an environmentally friendly economical energy producing technology that simultaneously promotes the human realization that the Earth is an open system and the human settlement of space.
http://space-frontier.org/ Projects/spacesolarpower/

6) The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), the premier world aerospace technical society Policy Paper

The SPS is one of several potentially competitive options for providing a nondepletable source of baseload electric power in the future…The SPS appears to be technologically feasible.
http://pdf.aiaa.org// downloads/ publicpolicypositionpapers// SolarSats-1978.pdf

7) The report of the DoD/NSSO (the only interagency and independent voice for space security) Study Group's 2007 Report:

Space-Based Solar Power does present a strategic opportunity that could significantly advance US and partner security, capability, and freedom of action, and merits significant further attention on the part of the United States Government and the private sector...The SBSP Study Group concluded that SBSP requires a coordinated national program with high-level leadership and resourcing commensurate with its promise, but at least on the level of fusion energy research or International Space Station construction and operations...The SBSP Study Group concluded that should the U.S. begin a coordinated national program to develop SBSP, it should expect to find that broad interest in SBSP exists outside of the US Government, ranging from aerospace and energy industries; to foreign governments such as Japan, the EU, Canada, India, China, Russia, and others; to many individual citizens who are increasingly concerned about the preservation of energy security and environmental quality. While the best chances for development are likely to occur with US Government support, it is entirely possible that SBSP development may be independently pursued elsewhere without U.S. leadership.
http://www.nss.org/settlement/ ssp/library/final-sbsp- interim-assessment-release-01. pdf

8) The Department of Commerce, Office of Space Commercialization website currently reads:
As society seeks to identify and develop alternative energy sources for the future that are clean, safe, and continuously available, the concept of space-based solar power (SBSP) is beginning to gain traction as a potential answer to the world's long-term energy needs.

http://www.space.commerce.gov/ power/

9) The Change.gov Visionary White Paper, one of the first 10 circulated by the transition team on Change.gov:

The U.S. federal government has invested over $21 Billion in fusion research in the last 50 years, and the DOE is currently spending $300 million per year on fusion energy research. When choosing a lead agency for SSP, the Administration should establish an SSP research budget within that agency that grows to at least the level of the DOE’s fusion energy research program.
http://change.gov/open_ government/entry/space_solar_ power_ssp_a_solution_for_ energy_independence_climate_ change

10) Spacefaring America White Paper on The End of Easy Energy and What to Do About It:
This paper’s assessment of the energy production potential of conventional nuclear, geothermal, wind, ground solar electric, and land biomass finds that these will fall significantly short of both the U.S.’s or the world’s 2100 sustainable energy needs. To fill the substantial sustainable energy shortfall that will emerge by 2100 as the era of easy energy ends, space solar power and algae biodiesel—absent the extensive use of advanced nuclear energy and/or undersea methane hydrates—will need to be substantially developed. Space solar power will be needed to supply most of the U.S.’s and the world’s dispatchable electrical power generation.
http://mikesnead.net/ resources/spacefaring/white_ paper_the_end_of_easy_energy_ and_what_to_do_about_it.pdf

11) Naval Research Lab Report, 2008
The NRL SBSP Study Group concurs with the conclusions of the numerous previous studies
of preceding decades that the SBSP concept is technically feasible but that there remain significant system risks in many areas...The Group concurs that SBSP offers one of several possible solutions to the energy independence and dominance of our country and our military; and that those alternative solutions (including terrestrial solar, nuclear, and wind) must be an integral part of the solution
http://www.nss.org/settlement/ ssp/library/2008-NRLSBSP- PossibleDefenseApplicationsAnd Opportunities.pdf

12) Dr. Kalam, at the time India's President, and national hero as their lead rocket scientist from both their civil and military programs, address to Boston University on the Future of Human Space Exploration:
However solar flux on earth is available for just 6-8 hours every day whereas incident radiation on space solar power station would be 24 hrs every day. What better vision can there be for the future of space exploration, than participating in a global mission for perennial supply of renewable energy from space?...Space based solar power stations have six to fifteen times greater capital utilization than equivalent sized ground solar stations. Linking Space solar power to reverse osmosis technology for large-scale drinking water supplies could be yet another major contribution of Space.
http://www.rites.com/rites- journal/A.P.J.Abdul%20kalam. pdf

13) The Aeronautical Society of India (AeSI) 2007 conference recommendations:
…generate a national consensus for the Global Aerospace and Energy initiative, determine the sources and uses of funding, and evolve a suitable management structure and system to plan and implement the mission
http://www.aesi-hyd.com/ conference07/Panel_ recommendation.htm

14) Interview with Hiroaki Suzuki with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, also known as JAXA. He is one of 180 Japanese scientists working on the program, according to Scientific American.
We expect space solar panel systems will be competitive with the existing power plants in 20 to 30 years, if the space transportation cost is considerably reduced. It should be noted that solar systems do not emit CO2, nor do they create nuclear waste...We are proposing a roadmap that consists of a stepped approach to achieve 1-gigawatt-class commercial space solar panel systems in 20 to 30 years. That means 2030 would see the very beginning of commercial systems. We expect the ultimate percentage of electricity derived from space will be more than several tens of percent. By the way, Japanese total electricity generation was about 275 gigawatts or 990,000 gigawatt-hours in 2005.
http://energycentral. fileburst.com/EnergyBizOnline/ 2008-5-sep-oct/Tech_Frontier_ Solar_Space.pdf

15) ESA Advanced Concepts project summary page:
The big advantage of space based solar power collection is the 24h availability: unlike the situation on the surface of Earth, in geostationary orbit there is no night and the sun is never shadowed by clouds, rain or fog...We are therefore currently studying how e.g. space assets might best integrate into the management of future, complex energy grids with large components of renewable energy plants.
http://www.esa.int/gsp/ACT/ nrg/op/SPS/index.htm http://www.esa.int/gsp/ACT/ nrg/index.htm

16) The Space Solar Alliance for Future Energy (SSAFE) press release:
The Space Solar Alliance for Future Energy (SSAFE), a new organization advocating investment in space-based solar power technologies to address the planet’s future energy needs, was announced today at the National Press Club. The coalition of thirteen leading research organizations and space advocacy groups focused their inaugural event on the announcement of a new study of space-based solar power led by the National Security Space Office (NSSO)...The new Space Solar Alliance for Future Energy (SSAFE) will promote the findings of the NSSO-led study, and seek to communicate the benefits of the technology to business, government and the general public...The founding members of SSAFE are the National Space Society, Space Frontier Foundation, Space Power Association, Aerospace Technology Working Group, Marshall Institute, Moon Society, ShareSpace Foundation, Space Studies Institute, Spaceward Foundation, AIAA Space Colonization Technical Committee, ProSpace, Space Enterprise Council, and Space Generation Foundation.
http://ssafe.wordpress.com/

17) Aerospace Technology Working Group (ATWG) Recommended Actions Paper, 2008

We judge this is not a NASA-centric aerospace technological issue. It is a national security issue, an energy security issue, an environmental solution, and an economic security issue, and, thus, needs to be addressed within a framework that includes all these dimensions, perspectives, and players, including considerable participation by private energy enterprise. The role of government should be to mature a limited number of components and processes to prove their economic and technical viability; then, step back, while continuing to support a strategy that addresses all elements of the problem. The government should lend support to this potential new industry, as done before for other fuel sources. While completing the maturing phase, the government program should work with industry to collaborate so that the private sector can pick up the costs and implement the SBSP system, if practical. This can be done in a sequence of steps with each step creating an increasing level of energy production to meet legitimate market demand profitably step by step, ultimately scaling to the level of provision of significant base load power in the U.S.http://www.atwg.org/ public/ATWG%20space-based% 20solar%20power.pdf

18) Taylor Dinerman in Space Review

In Washington lots of people have complained that the Obama Administration has so far not given the India-US relationship the attention it deserves... The one area in which there seems to be movement on, though, is a “renewable energy partnership”...Any analysis of the potential of terrestrial solar energy in India or elsewhere runs up against the awesome size of the future demand for power...they cannot by any stretch of the imagination fulfill the requirements of a huge growing economy like India’s. ...Only SSP, which operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year after year, can hope to meet this need....Fortunately both India and the US have space programs and technologies that could, if developed together and possibly with other interested nations such as Japan, bring SSP systems into service sometime late next decade or the early 2020s. With its commitment to develop a new low cost reusable spaceplane, the India Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is already working on one of the key technologies needed for an SSP system. Indian participation in both private and public SSP programs should be welcomed by the US. In the near term the new Indo-US renewable energy partnership would seem to be the right place to start this collaboration. Together the partners can identify what will be needed in the way of technological and scientific investments over the next decade in order to make SSP a reality. India has lots of talent that can be committed to this effort and so does the US. In fact, the kind of ambitious idealism that we saw at NASA during the Apollo years could be engendered by this goal. Safe, clean, abundant energy from the Sun is not an impossible dream. The technology has not been perfected and the need for new, low-cost Earth-to-orbit transportation systems is as urgent as ever, but there are no requirements for any scientific breakthroughs.

http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1389/1