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Edited by Britton:
3/14/2015 8:19:10 PM
31
This awesome science could change the world
[quote]Scientists were able to transmit microwave energy in a directed beam to a target 170 feet away. This may not seem like a long distance but the experiment means the technology could be scaled up effectively according to news reports. The eventual outgrowth of the technology could lead to solar energy being collected in space and then beamed down to Earth.[/quote] paraphrased.
This is huge, if solar energy could be collected in space, then beamed to earth, we will finally surpass our need for much of fossil fuels. The implications of this could change the world. Like a huge demand for people in the space industry.
I'm sad that its Japanese scientists though. It's just a reflection of how the u.s. poor reinvestment in the education of our youth will be reflected in the future.
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2 RepliesUS looked at this a while back, it fell to two major options big and small. Big would be a massive energy production plant in space geo synch that would use a massive microwave transmitter to send power home. Negatives were billions in cost that no one wants to pay, publics fear of a giant microwave death beam, and strategic limitation in warfare since most countries would knock it out of orbit with far cheaper weapons. Small was hundreds of small satellites that would beam power back using lasers. Negatives were low power income per large cost of installation, publics fear of death lasers from space, crowding near space with even more objects (as well as fear of small object collisions), and power loss due to attenuation in the atmosphere. Truth is that the US has had the capability of either of these options for 20 years (why do people always assume we are behind in the tech race?) but the political/financial/military gains have been found to be difficult. Believe me, the US would love to become oil independent, in fact the fastest growing energy production type in the US is renewable energy. But until we become a more civil world as a whole megascale projects like this are just unfeasible.
