[ExI] Luna Ring Solar Power

[Anders Sandberg]

On 2013-11-30 10:56, Ben wrote:
> http://www.shimz.co.jp/english/theme/dream/lunaring.html
>
> Any observations on this?  Better/worse than solar power satellites?

Same problem with voltage conversion as Elon Musk felt made SPS too 
inefficient, much longer transmission distance, not geostationary, and 
also requires getting building material far beyond geostationary orbit.

The fundamental security problem is that either the beams are weak 
enough that they are no weapons of mass destruction, and then the 
rectennas are just like much better solar collectors of the same size. 
Or the beams have real oomph, and now you have an orbital death ray 
which means geopolitics gets tricky.

Still, robotic factories on the moon are always robotic factories on the 
moon. The project would both force and enable proper space colonisation.

-- 
Dr Anders Sandberg
Future of Humanity Institute
Oxford Martin School
Oxford University