[ExI] British government commissions SBSP report

[Giulio Prisco]

On 2020. Nov 16., Mon at 17:41, Adrian Tymes via extropy-chat <
extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:

> Hopefully they will also examine the lunar-sourced option, which might be
> within their budget.
>

You mean collecting solar power on the Moon and beaming it to Earth?


> On Mon, Nov 16, 2020 at 6:22 AM John Grigg via extropy-chat <
> extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:
>
>> Could Britain actually afford such an expensive space venture? I thought
>> such projects were beyond their economic limits, despite having the
>> technical know-how.
>>
>> John
>>
>> On Sat, Nov 14, 2020 at 10:56 PM Tom Nowell via extropy-chat <
>> extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:
>>
>>> In today's news that doesn't concern covid, brexit or political
>>> infighting, the UK government issued a press release today about space
>>> based solar power.
>>>
>>> UK government commissions space solar power stations research
>>> <https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-government-commissions-space-solar-power-stations-research>
>>>
>>> UK government commissions space solar power stations research
>>>
>>> Solar energy harvested in space offers the potential for an unlimited
>>> and constant zero carbon power source
>>>
>>> <https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-government-commissions-space-solar-power-stations-research>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> The UK government has commissioned new research into space-based solar
>>> power (SBSP) systems that would use very large solar power satellites to
>>> collect solar energy, convert it into high-frequency radio waves, and
>>> safely beam it back to ground-based receivers connected to the electrical
>>> power grid.
>>>
>>> It is an idea first conjured by science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov in
>>> 1941, and is now being studied by several nations because the lightweight
>>> solar panels and wireless power transmission technology is advancing
>>> rapidly. This, together with lower cost commercial space launch, may make
>>> the concept of solar power satellites more feasible and economically viable.
>>>
>>> Now the UK in 2020 will explore whether this renewable technology could
>>> offer a resilient, safe and sustainable energy source.
>>>
>>> The study, led by Frazer-Nash Consultancy, will consider the engineering
>>> and economics of such a system – whether it could deliver affordable energy
>>> for consumers, and the engineering and technology that would be required to
>>> build it. One of the biggest issues to overcome is assembling the massive
>>> satellites in orbit, which has not been done before at this scale.
>>>
>>> Dr Graham Turnock, Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency, said:
>>>
>>> The Sun never sets in space, so a space solar power system could supply
>>> renewable energy to anywhere on the planet, day or night, rain or shine. It
>>> is an idea that has existed for decades, but has always felt decades away.
>>>
>>> The UK is growing its status as a global player in space and we have
>>> bold plans to launch small satellites in the coming years. Space solar
>>> could be another string to our bow, and this study will help establish
>>> whether it is right for the UK.
>>>
>>> Historically, the cost of rocket launches and the weight that would be
>>> required for a project of this scale made the idea of space-based solar
>>> power unfeasible. But the emergence of privately-led space ventures has
>>> brought the cost of launch down dramatically in the last decade.
>>>
>>> Martin Soltau, Space Business Manager at Frazer-Nash outlined what the
>>> study will involve:
>>>
>>> Decarbonising our economy is vital. We need to explore new technologies
>>> to provide clean, affordable, secure and dependable energy for the nation.
>>> SBSP has the potential to contribute substantially to UK energy generation,
>>> and offers many benefits if it can be made practical and affordable.
>>>
>>> Frazer-Nash is studying the leading international solar power satellite
>>> designs, and we will be drawing up the engineering plan to deploy an
>>> operational SBSP system by 2050. We are forming an expert panel, comprised
>>> of leading SBSP experts and space and energy organisations, to gain a range
>>> of industry views.
>>>
>>> We will compare SBSP alongside other forms of renewable energy, to see
>>> how it would contribute as part of a future mix of clean energy
>>> technologies.
>>>
>>> We have also partnered with Oxford Economics, who have significant
>>> experience in the space sector and who will provide additional insight to
>>> the economic assessment of the system, and the benefit to the UK economy.
>>>
>>> As the effects of climate change become more pronounced, prominent
>>> research institutions and government agencies are focusing new money and
>>> attention on novel approaches to reduce global warming.
>>>
>>> In 2019, Britain passed an important milestone, with more electricity
>>> generated from sources like wind, solar and nuclear power, that produce
>>> almost no carbon dioxide emissions, than from carbon-emitting fuels like
>>> natural gas and coal.
>>>
>>> According to the World Resources Institute – a Washington-based
>>> non-profit that tracks climate change – Britain has reduced carbon dioxide
>>> generated in the country by about 40 per cent, which is more than any other
>>> major industrialised country.
>>>
>>> As the National Space Council sets a new direction for our space policy,
>>> the UK Space Agency is committed to understanding the future opportunities
>>> space technologies open up.
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> extropy-chat mailing list
>>> extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org
>>> http://lists.extropy.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/extropy-chat
>>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> extropy-chat mailing list
>> extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org
>> http://lists.extropy.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/extropy-chat
>>
> _______________________________________________
> extropy-chat mailing list
> extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org
> http://lists.extropy.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/extropy-chat
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.extropy.org/pipermail/extropy-chat/attachments/20201116/99fa6dda/attachment.htm>