Concepts Compared: CASSIOPeiA, SPS-ALPHA, Tiles and Mirrors
Which designs are being studied, and how do they differ in principle?
Chapter summary
the main geostationary microwave concepts differ in how they hold solar collectors and transmitters steady while the Earth turns.
Key takeaways
- 1
CASSIOPeiA, from the UK's Space Solar, uses a helical structure that lets fixed elements both collect sunlight and point at Earth without large moving joints.
- 2
SPS-ALPHA, by John Mankins, uses many modular mirrors to concentrate sunlight onto a transmitting array.
- 3
Modular "sandwich tile" designs, studied by AFRL and Caltech, combine solar cells, electronics and antennas in one thin tile, so a plant is a large array of identical tiles.
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