by Mr. Hawking

Created on: November 02, 2008

Build a nuclear power plant, and you create a possible radioactive meltdown. Build a solar panel in space, and you create clean and secure renewable energy. Ever since the 1970s oil crisis, scientists have entertained the notion of building solar satellites in space, but only recently can this dream become a reality.

The basic principle of this technology is simple. Rockets shuttle a satellite and solar panels to space, astronauts assemble everything, and the energy captured by the sun is sent down to earth in the form of microwaves. The final step, however, requires a form of nanotechnology that has now become available.

Ironically, the world is running out of energy just as we need it most. Depleting oil reserves and declining nuclear production have led many to turn to solar power plants, but beneath earth's atmosphere space is limited and infrastructure is poor. Other benefits of solar satellites include:

1) Creating high-tech, high-paying jobs that boost the economy. Developing technology for solar powered satellites provides an incentives for businesses to spend money, hire workers, and encourage students to go to college at a time when the U.S. education system is worse than ever.

2) Ensuring a secure source of energy that doesn't foster terrorism. The money we pay to oil-rich countries can end up in the hands of terrorists, and power plants remain a viable target of attack. In contrast, it's almost impossible to disrupt a fleet of satellites.

3) Protecting the environment. As a renewable energy source, solar powered satellites have no lasting impact on the environment and don't produce greenhouse gasses, unlike coal and oil.

Solar satellites are especially useful because they provide the best return on investment. Unlike plants on the ground, satellites receive sunlight directly and not through a cloudy atmosphere. Also, developments in nanotechnology have made solar panels more efficient and cheaper. As a result, panels in space produce up to 15 times more energy than panels on the ground do.

Of course, launching and operating solar satellites will require a significant investment. If the government wants to seriously consider solar powered satellites, it needs to provide tax incentives and contracts for technical companies. Right now, solar powered satellites are seen as too expensive in the private sector, and few manufacturing firms have the necessary capital. Companies will need to develop a standard model for the construction and the design of solar satellites and modify the power grid so it can receive energy from space. Do this, and space-based solar panels will power the world.

For further information on solar satellite technology, see "Space Based Solar Power As an Opportunity for Strategic Security" by the U.S. National Security Space Office on October 10, 2007.

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