This commentary by Arthur R. Woods and Marco C. Bernasconi is a slightly updated version which first appeared in Space News – Oct. 2- 8, 1995 There is no need to list the many challenges facing humanity as it enters the next century. Be they environmental, political, economic or social, the problems are both obvious [...]
On May 28, 2024, I was pleased at the invitation from EPFL to speak about my background, Space-Based Solar Power (SBSP), our ESA funded study 'Greater Earth Lunar Power Station' and a SBSP Case Study for Switzerland. To address the energy and climate crises, renewed interest in Space-Based Solar Power (SBSP) is being [...]
Astrostrom had a very busy week at the 2024 Luxembourg Space Resources week as an event partner, presenter and visioneering its approach to Space-Based Solar Power. On the first day of the event, Katriin Kristmann from Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech) presented their work on Monograin Layer (MGL) photovoltaics made from lunar regolith. Astrostrom and [...]
The private entity of the Public-Private Partnership will comprise a consortium of strategic partners and investors that will be responsible for setting-up and administering the GEEO, and then managing its research and development programmes. Strategic partners are being sought from companies, organisations and institutions active in the fields of space, electricity supply, mining, robotics, finance [...]
Various Space-Based Solar Power (SBSP) proposals have been researched since the early 1970s and currently, SBSP is being researched and developed in Europe, United States, China, Australia, Japan, India, Russia, South Korea and Japan. It is widely expected that the first Solar Power Satellite (SPS) system will be built on Earth and launched into orbit [...]
Humanity is at a crossroads: we must decide if we prefer to live and prosper in an energy-rich world, or attempt to survive in an energy poor-one. Finding a viable solution to the impending energy and climate crises confronting humanity is urgently necessary. The fundamental causes of these interrelated issues are the many environmental and [...]
Apollo On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy shared his vision of the Apollo programme with these words: “I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth. No single space project in [...]
Space-Based Solar Power (SBSP) is currently being researched and developed in Europe, United States, China, Australia, Russia, South Korea and Japan. These ongoing SBSP efforts are testimony to the growing worldwide recognition of the potential contribution of SBSP to solving the world’s worsening climate and energy problems. If these efforts continue, they will lead to [...]
Due to the climate and energy crises, much discussion has focused on the anticipated ‘transition’ from fossil fuels for energy production to cleaner alternative sources of energy. Consequently, terrestrial energy sources such as solar and wind are being deployed at an increasing pace, yet these represent only a small percentage of the current global [...]
The climate and energy crises and the urgent need for sustainable and clean energy have created a ‘window of opportunity’ for energy providers – a window that is also a multi-trillion investment opportunity for Space-Based Solar Power (SBSP). Using data from the 2024 Energy Institute Statistical Review of World Energy, total world energy consumption [...]
