[ExI] Space based solar (was: global warming again.)

[John K Clark]

"Keith Henson" <hkeithhenson at gmail.com>

> Space based solar provisionally looks like the best idea.

But you think using lunar material for most of the mass that makes up those
power satellites is a bad idea; it's never been entirely clear to me why you
think all of the material should be launched from the very bottom of Earth's
deep gravity well and not just use that option for the hard to make stuff
like computer chips. Solar cells are easier to make than computer chips but
you need to make vastly more of them. If we can make them on the Earth
why can't we make them on the moon?

It seems to me that if power satellites are ever going to be economical,
and I'm not sure they ever will be, then you'll have to use lunar material
for at least 95% of their mass. But I could be wrong.

 John K Clark