Space-Based Solar Power Interim Assessment (Release 0.1) is Published!

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Click here for the “Interim Assessment!”

Space Solar Power: Much More Than Clean Energy

In a recent posting to washingtonpost.com, author Steven Mufson pessimistically asserts in “Climate Change Debate Hinges on Economics:”

“Because of the enormous cost of addressing global warming, the energy legislation considered by Congress so far will make barely a dent in the problem, while farther-reaching climate proposals stand a remote chance of passage.”

I tend to agree with Mufson.

We must not kid ourselves; nothing is a more farther-reaching climate proposal than space-based solar power. If pursued for that reason alone–especially as a big government program–I believe nothing would come of it. Not to despair. There are many more reasons to develop space-based solar power, and another way of going about it.

Space Policy? Energy Policy? Security Policy?

An apparent stumbling block for space-based solar power inside Washington (and probably elsewhere) is that it is always someone else’s job. It spans far beyond any single organization’s charter, so it becomes the dropped ball, getting only an occasional glance from the players:

• Energy is the Department of Energy’s job (hence the name), but they don’t do space
• NASA does space, but they’re doing Moon, Mars, and beyond, not energy
• The Department of Defense also does space, but it is not in the energy business

As the political parties hammer out their platforms for the 2008 presidential election, where should they address the development of space-based solar power? How should the new administration proceed? Who should be the lead department or agency?

Coyote

Wired Coyote

Military Target: Solar-Beaming Sats
By Noah Shachtman, Wired, June 07, 2007

Last month, a man at a bar introduced himself as “Coyote,” and told me he was working on the Pentagon’s plans to build a string of satellites that beamed solar rays down to Earth.