| 2002

2000
- FINAL REPORT
to the NASA Space Solar Power Exploratory
Research and Technology (SERT) Program - "Spaceport Concept
and Technology Roadmapping" Investment
Steps to Routine, Low Cost Spaceport Systems,
Prepared by the Vision Spaceport Partnership,
November 2000. (Word .doc format, 1.8
MB).
1999

1998
Graphics
/ Trendlines
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Also see:
September
7, 2000 Testimony of John Mankins before House Science
Committee Hearings on Solar Power Satellites
"Large-scale
SSP is a very complex integrated system of
systems that requires numerous significant
advances in current technology and capabilities
A technology
roadmap has been developed that lays out
potential paths for achieving all needed advances
- albeit over several decades
Ongoing and
recent technology advances have narrowed many of
the technology gaps, but major technical,
regulatory and conceptual hurdles continue to
exist
This
NASA-funded SSP activity has made significant
contributions to narrowing the technology gap
(e.g. a three-fold reduction in mass at the solar
array level over current state-of-the-art)
An incremental
and evolutionary approach to developing needed
technologies and systems has been defined, with
significant and broadly applicable advances with
each increment
The
technologies and systems needed for SPS have
highly leveraged applicability to needs in space
science, robotic and human exploration, and the
development of space
The
decades-long time frame for SPS technology
development is consistent with the time frame
during which new space transportation systems,
commercial space markets, etc. could advance
Power relay
concepts appear technical viable using space
solar power technologies, but may depend upon
higher frequency power beaming
The question
of ultimate large-scale solar power satellite
economic viability remains open."
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Website
Contact: Edgar Zapata, NASA Kennedy Space Center
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