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> 1km through the atmosphere is probably all you need to verify that the approach would work for Space Based Solar. How so? Wouldn't a space-based-solar facili

> 1km through the atmosphere is probably all you need to verify that the approach would work for Space Based Solar. How so? Wouldn't a space-based-solar facility need to transmit through the full height of the atmosphere which is much more than 1km?

coenhyde 4y ago
It is. I guess I was extrapolating without explaining. Whatever results they get from this test at sea level, they should be able to predict the efficiency for a Space Based Solar System. I wasn't necessarily saying their test verifies that Space Based Solar would work, but just that they have the information to determine if it would.
- lazide 4y ago
  We already know the efficiency - terrible. Actual end to end efficiency even of this system was more like 2%
  - b112 4y ago
    But this just proves it, don't you see? Only if the government has alien power generating tech, would they care so little about power loss.
    - lazide 4y ago
      Hah, more like if the infinite money machine is going, even 2% is fine - not like they have to worry about the 98% losses?
- paranoidrobot 4y ago
  So what you're proposing is: - Gather a whole shitload of power on-orbit - Build a massive fleet of power-shunting satellites - Deliver all of that down to the ground I think you may have watched too many James Bond movies. What seems to be missing is consideration of what happens to all that 'lost' power. In their test, they sent 91kW, and received 1.6kW, over a distance of 1km. That missing power doesn't just up and disappear, it's heating the air and water between it. You'd have to scale this up, massively -- I'm not good enough at the math or physics, but I can't imagine it gets any easier at longer distances. So what you're really describing is a death-beam that even if you don't cook the people on the ground, is going to be dumping huge amounts of heat into the atmosphere.
XorNot 4y ago
Yes but through progressively thinner atmosphere.

coenhyde 4y ago

It is. I guess I was extrapolating without explaining. Whatever results they get from this test at sea level, they should be able to predict the efficiency for a Space Based Solar System. I wasn't necessarily saying their test verifies that Space Based Solar would work, but just that they have the information to determine if it would.

lazide 4y ago
We already know the efficiency - terrible. Actual end to end efficiency even of this system was more like 2%
- b112 4y ago
  But this just proves it, don't you see? Only if the government has alien power generating tech, would they care so little about power loss.
  - lazide 4y ago
    Hah, more like if the infinite money machine is going, even 2% is fine - not like they have to worry about the 98% losses?
paranoidrobot 4y ago
So what you're proposing is: - Gather a whole shitload of power on-orbit - Build a massive fleet of power-shunting satellites - Deliver all of that down to the ground I think you may have watched too many James Bond movies. What seems to be missing is consideration of what happens to all that 'lost' power. In their test, they sent 91kW, and received 1.6kW, over a distance of 1km. That missing power doesn't just up and disappear, it's heating the air and water between it. You'd have to scale this up, massively -- I'm not good enough at the math or physics, but I can't imagine it gets any easier at longer distances. So what you're really describing is a death-beam that even if you don't cook the people on the ground, is going to be dumping huge amounts of heat into the atmosphere.

XorNot 4y ago

Yes but through progressively thinner atmosphere.