Cosmic Log: how serious is space solar power?

Femica Studios

Conception of this artist shows a satellite based on space equipped with photoelectric cells, in addition to an antenna that transmits energy thrown down to Earth like a beam of microwaves. Click the image for a graphical presentation, showing how the space-based solar works.

By Alan Boyle

The idea of power beaming down from outer space is revealed in science fiction stories and studies of Government for decades. Commercial offers were affected, prototype satellites have been proposed, international initiatives have been announced. But any real progress towards solar energy systems based on developing space? This is what we are talking about this Sunday on "virtually speaking science."

Few companies have been working on the technology of power beaming challenge from point to point (B), in the form of laser or microwaves. In 2009, a company called LaserMotive won $ 900,000 a best secured by NASA for robot powered bundle. The company showed last year that they could maintain a quadrocopter air throughout the night, only a laser beam focusing on its generating arrays. And in 2008, managed energy technology has shown a RF wireless transmission system that could send a beam of energy on a small scale over a distance of up to 90 miles.

But all these experiments are firmly grounded on planet Earth. Anyone who has gotten to the point of building hardware for experiments radiant in outer space?

"None of them that I know of is at the turning point of steel," said Air Force Col. M.V. "Coyote" Smith, who will be our guest in show on Sunday. Smith led a study of 2007 for the Department of Defense set out a scenario for the military use of solar energy based on space, which has submitted a proposal for a follow-up to a project of satellite power-beaming called "a light bulb."

The idea was to bundle enough power from space to make only a small LED light shine. Smith figured that $ 10 million would be enough to go ahead with the satellite project and learn how to overcome the technological and regulatory barriers that may face large international satellites. But the Pentagon didn't go for the idea.

"Is a new area of mission", explained to Smith, "and in this era of austere budget, it is difficult to attract an organization sponsor".

For now, Smith is pinning its hopes on small business to get the ball rolling. "I think what you're going to make is that the business community is going to step up to the plate and minor studies that would lure the attention," he said.

What do you think? PG & E customers will be getting some of their electricity from space by 2016, as the California-based company, Solaren promised a couple of years ago? Or solar space will stay in the realm of science fiction for decades to come? Tune into our show on your computer at 8 p.m. ET Sunday, or join the studio audience to the virtual world of Second Life. (To get there, here is the SLurl).

Indeed, it is also possible to see the Oscar TV while you're listening to "virtually speaking science" on your computer. My Second Life avatar is probably adapting compared to some of the actors ' ll be seeing. Wish I could say the same thing for my face before life.

To learn more about solar space:

My co-host on "virtually speaking science" is Robin Snelson's Institute for space studies. Listen to the podcast from our show February 13, which included Tim Pickens, team leader of the pioneers of space rocket city. And stay tuned for our program on Pluto and suborbital spaceflight on March 13th, the 81st anniversary of the announcement of the discovery of Pluto.

Join the community of Cosmic Log by clicking the "like" on our Facebook page or by msnbc.com science editor Alan Boyle as b0yle on Twitter. For more information on the book by Alan Boyle on Pluto and the search for planets, refer to "the case for Pluto."

Gives a new meaning to ' clean ' power

Is more than a couple of years ago, and this Australian company occupies three floors of an office building, reports a pilot fish on the scene.

Fish "and the section IT was nerve centre on the first floor," he says. "We had a thick wire Ethernet port-performed on the third floor of a small comms corner, from which a thin wire stretched around to everyone".

And especially the network operates well with only minor issues. But one day, fish Gets a call complaining that all people on the third floor have lost their network connections, so he goes to investigate.

After excluding the usual suspects in the first place, he decides to check the equipment in the closet 3rd floor communications--that he figures should be fine, because it is locked safely away from hands does IT.

But all the equipment is switched off.

Fish flips a switch. Nothing happens.

Next stop is the power distribution panel to the third floor. Sure enough, he tripped a circuit breaker. Reset a switch and a bit of work later, the network is back up.

But why was down in the first place? "After a bit of detective work, I finally discovered that our comms equipment were on the same circuit as the kitchen," grumbles fish. "When Mrs. tea on the dishwasher, the sudden increase in power was too much extra for it.

"Needless to say, we had electricians in pretty soon to resolve this situation, but I had fun to explain to everyone that this was a dishwasher that killed their network."

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