4 ms·
In it's favor, a solar power satellite can get light nearly 100% of the time, while on the ground you are luck to average 50% with rotation and weather.
by nickhalfasleep 13y ago
In it's favor, a solar power satellite can get light nearly 100% of the time, while on the ground you are luck to average 50% with rotation and weather.
- cvbncvbncgbc 13y agoIn what orbit, that doesn't require propulsion, do you get constant line of sight?
- danielweber 13y agoThey nearly always call for geosynchronous orbit, because they want to always be over the rectenna on the ground. The Earth will occasionally put such a satellite into shadow, but remember that the Earth is tilted, and so is the equator. Getting up to GEO is hella expensive.
- mikeash 13y agoJust to put some numbers on it, GEO doesn't intersect the Sun-Earth line most of the time. The Earth's shadow touches GEO for a couple of weeks around the equinoxes, resulting in up to 70 minutes of shadow per day in that period. The rest of the time, they're in sun 100% of the time. So, as low as a 95% duty cycle at the worst point in the year, and 100% for most of the year.
- oh_sigh 13y agoL1 reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagrangian_point#L1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagrangian_point#L1