dlkf writes: "There is an article on Space.com that talks about some of the benefits, costs and current research relevant to using satellites to generate and store power. This surplus of power could then be beamed via laser or microwave to earth or other satellites."
will we be reading this again 25 years from now
by
hagbard5235
·
· Score: 3, Insightful
This was first seriously proposed by
Gerald K. Oneill of Princeton University in
1975! It was feasable ( and even profitable )
then, but the capitalization was to high for
any organization on earth but the US Government
to undertake. The only reason we haven't done
it already is because of a defect of will, a
myopy of purpose, and inability to look further
ahead than the next election.
When will we, the citizens of the United States,
have the vision to demand these sorts of
projects from our government? Oneill's initial
proposal had an estimated 20 year pay back time, for
the first powersat. Subsequent powersats would
have been much cheaper. If the proposal Oneill
made had been taken up seriously in 1976, and taken
say 2 years to get it's political legs so that
actual work began in 1978, and it took ten
years to build, we would have had cheap abundant
energy by 1988.
Given cheap abundant energy it would be feasible to
produce, for example, metal hydride or fuel cell
powered cars. Given a 10 year ramp up and phase in
for those technologies we would have in 1998
been largely petroleum free ( at least for
power ).
Does anyone question that this would be a better
place to be... and we could be there by now, if
only we had the vision, and the will.
Slashdot Mirror
This was first seriously proposed by
Gerald K. Oneill of Princeton University in
1975! It was feasable ( and even profitable )
then, but the capitalization was to high for
any organization on earth but the US Government
to undertake. The only reason we haven't done
it already is because of a defect of will, a
myopy of purpose, and inability to look further
ahead than the next election.
When will we, the citizens of the United States,
have the vision to demand these sorts of
projects from our government? Oneill's initial
proposal had an estimated 20 year pay back time, for
the first powersat. Subsequent powersats would
have been much cheaper. If the proposal Oneill
made had been taken up seriously in 1976, and taken
say 2 years to get it's political legs so that
actual work began in 1978, and it took ten
years to build, we would have had cheap abundant
energy by 1988.
Given cheap abundant energy it would be feasible to
produce, for example, metal hydride or fuel cell
powered cars. Given a 10 year ramp up and phase in
for those technologies we would have in 1998
been largely petroleum free ( at least for
power ).
Does anyone question that this would be a better
place to be... and we could be there by now, if
only we had the vision, and the will.