Orbital Power Plant Dummies' GuideThe Electromagnetic Spectrum Page 2
MORE POWER* Most solar panels on Earth are good at absorbing the visible wavelengths (for obvious reasons), but not so good at absorbing infrared or UV radiation. * There is simply more radiation available in space than on the surface. In space, there are 1,370 watts per square meter available. On the Earth's surface, this drops to around 200 watts per square meter — thanks to a combination of the day/night cycle, scattering and absorption. * Microwaves, on the other hand, have much longer wavelengths and are much less likely to hit particles in the atmosphere. As a result, less energy is scattered — and much more is able to pass unhindered through the atmosphere. * Hence, the whole concept of space-based solar power: collect energy where there is more of it, and beam it down through the atmosphere at wavelengths that are not as easily scattered or absorbed. * It is in theory possible to design and launch the equivalent of a satellite science mission, to near space, for around $1,000. This idea is popular with amateur enthusiasts and science teachers. * Launched by hand from the Mojave Desert, the balloon reached 106,000 feet, where it burst and fell back to Earth (the helium expands as it reaches low pressure at high altitude, until the balloon can't take it). Flight time was three hours. Digital cameras recorded the whole thing and survived the landing (inside a polystyrene box). * In theory, this approach would be relatively cheap, as you can buy weather balloons on eBay, and most other things could come from RadioShack. * The idea was to stick a solid-state high-definition camera in a box, cover it with solar panels and a measuring device, a GPS, and a transmitter, and we've got the perfect way to measure radiation all the way up to 30 kilometers-plus, if you're lucky. And in theory you should see a 25 percent jump in power. |
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