Just a quick point. >Run 80,000 hours in ten years the return is $800 per kW >per penny payment for a kWh. For power satellites, assuming 5kg/kW, >$100 per kg lifted to GEO and about 1/3 of the cost going to >transport, you get the required $1600/kW for 2 cents per kWh.
Well, that seems really low, so I looked up present costs. At http://crowlspace.com/?page_id=50 there is a talk promoting space based solar. It was honest enough to admit: The launch cost from Earth to low earth orbit is the greatest impediment to this project. It is currently about $5,000 per pound to low earth orbit, and it has been about that cost for a long time. Geosynchronous orbit would raise the cost to 10,000/pound. Given the fact that, as mentioned in the talk, lift costs have been fairly constant, where does the factor of 200 improvement come from? How do you know it will happen when it hasn't? Dan M. _______________________________________________ http://box535.bluehost.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l_mccmedia.com
