David R. Criswell

Lunar System to Supply Solar Electric Power to Earth

The capacity of global electric power systems must be increased tenfold by the year 2050 to meet the energy needs of the 10 billion people assumed to populate the Earth by then. Few studies directly address this enormous challenge. Conventional terrestrial renewable, nuclear, and coal systems can not provide the power. Solar power collected on the moon can meet these needs. It would be collected by large area, thin-film photovoltaics and converted into thousands of low intensity microwave beams. These beams would be projected from shared, large diameter synthetic apertures on the moon to receivers located anywhere on Earth. Engineering and cost models indicate that the Lunar Power System (LPS) is economically robust and can be built at a faster rate than all other power systems. Internal rates of return in excess of 40% per year may be feasible. LPS uses understood technology. It can be environmentally supportive rather than simply benign or damaging. LPS implementation can immediately channel national and world R&D aerospace and electronics capabilities into completely peaceful directions and enable human prosperity.

International lunar base and lunar-based power system to supply Earth with electric power☆

The people of Earth will need more than 20,000 billion watts (GWe) of electric power by 2050 for a high level of prosperity. Power needs in the 22nd Century could exceed 100,000 GWe. The Lunar Power System (LPS) can provide solar electric power to Earth at less cost than conventional terrestrial systems and with far less environmental impact. A manned International Lunar Base (ILB) can accelerate development of LPS by: • • providing the initial transportation and habitation facilities that will greatly reduce up front costs and risks; • • demonstrating the emplacement over a 5–10 year period of a moderate scale LPS (1–100 GWe); • • enabling early exploration of alternative LPS designs, emplacement methods, maintenance, and in situ manufacturing of implementation equipment. LPS can support the establishment of an ILB by: • • substantially increasing the net wealth of the world and enabling general prosperity; • • providing wider support and greater funding of operations beyond Earth than for purely scientific research; • • accelerating the development of resources in cis-lunar space and on the moon. An international LPS program can foster world trust that lunar resources are being developed for the greatest good of mankind. The costs of SPS and LPS are compared. The organization of an international program for LPS is outlined.

Lunar solar power system: review of the technology base of an operational LSP system ☆

Abstract The Lunar Solar Power (LSP) system collects solar power on the lunar surface and converts the power to microwaves. The microwaves are transmitted as multiple Power Beams directly or indirectly, using orbital reflectors/retransmitters, to receivers on earth called rectennas. This paper examines the feasibility of using current technologies to implement an operational LSP system. The technologies are ranked in terms of NASA Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs). A solid technology base exists for an operational LSP system.

Overview of lunar industrial operations

Large scale power systems in space can be made affordable only by: (A) revolutionary reductions in transport cost to space or (B) if supported by large scale industrial activity based on local (lunar, asteroidal, planetary) materials (Waldron 1985; Waldron 1993). Of the potential sources, only the moon has been studied in sufficient detail at this time to warrant detailed engineering studies of mining, manufacturing, transport and deployment, field or space assembly, or the erection of space power assets, support infrastructure, and general operations. The practicality of lunar industrial activity will depend on optimizing the distribution or locally fabricated vs. imported production and support equipment, and automation Vs human control (direct or teleoperated). The anticipated high transport cost to the moon will mandate the minimization of direct labor requirements, but teleoperation can provide a predominant portion of non‐automated control requirments without excessive cost penalties. The constraint...

Characteristics of commercial power systems to support a prosperous-global economy

Abstract The World Energy Council (WEC) has challenged all decision makers to enable energy prosperity within two generations. Thus, by ∼2050 the global systems should supply 10 billion people approximately 6.7 kilowatts of thermal power per person or 61,360 kWt-h/y-person of energy. The economic equivalent is ∼2 – 3 kWe of electric power per person. The energy must be environmentally clean. The energy must be sufficiently low in cost that the 2 billion poorest people, who now make ≤1,000

Photovoltaics Using In Situ Resource Utilization for HEDS

/y-person, can be provided with the new power. Characteristics of 20 terrestrial, 3 space-based, and 3 lunar-based options for commercial global power systems are discussed. It is argued that the Lunar Solar Power System is the only practical option for supplying ∼70 TWt ( T = 1·10 12 ) by 2050 and maintaining that level of power indefinitely.

Lunar solar‐power system: Commerical power

One of the most important elements of a human planetary base is power production. Lunar data make it clear that several types of solar-to-electric converters can be manufactured on the Moon. Materials research and processing demonstrations are suggested that can be carried out on Earth, the Space Transportation System (STS), the International Space Station (ISS), and on the Moon to advance the in situ production of solar-to-electric power systems on the Moon. Many of the technologies will be applicable to Mars, the silicate moons, and asteroids.

Summary of characteristics of beamed power radiation patterns and side lobe levels for the lunar solar power system

The proposed Lunar Solar‐Power (LSP) System collects solar power on the moon. The power is converted to beams of microwaves and transmitted to fields of microwave receivers (rectennas) on Earth that provide electric power to local and regional power grids. LSP can provide abundant and low cost energy to Earth to sustain several centuries of economic development on Earth and in space. The LSP power is independent of the biosphere (global warming, weather, and climate changes), independent of reserves of terrestrial non‐renewable and renewable power, and is low in total costs compared to other large scale power systems. Efficient utilization of the moon as a platform for solar collectors/power transmitters and as a source of building materials is key to the development and emplacement of the LSP System. LSP development costs can be significantly reduced by the establishment of a manned lunar base.

In situ production of solar power systems for exploration: Potential for in situ rectenna production on Mars

Abstract The lunar solar power system (LSP) is a system for collecting solar radiant power on the lunar surface, converting the power to microwaves, and transmitting multiple power beams directly (or indirectly using orbital reflectors) to Earth stations. The microwave transmission systems for LSP direct beams consist of phased arrays of randomly placed reflector antennas distributed over large diameter equivalent apertures near the lunar limbs, each aperture generating multiple radiating wave fronts of different frequencies converging toward equivalent focal points beyond the Earth surface receiver planes. Unlike most versions of the space solar power system (SPS), the radiation patterns are governed by radiative near field or Fresnel diffraction constraints and provide a more uniform intensity over most of the receiver ground area and more rapid attenuation beyond the beam collection zone than is possible with Fraunhofer diffraction limited power beams. Statistical theories for radiation patterns of random arrays and phase or amplitude errors of reflector antennas have been described. These are combined to predict mean and peak side lobe power levels. Central beam power distributions are calculated from transmitting wavefront curvature and amplitude distributions. Parametric values for single power beams and mature global power distribution systems are presented for beaming power to receivers on Earth.

Space/lunar solar power systems research and needs (1999)

In situ derived expandable power is a key to eventual Mars base self-sufficiency. Initial studies for a non-nuclear human Mars reference mission rely on a large area of solar cells with energy storage for night power requirements. Preliminary studies indicate that utilization of Solar Electric Propulsion vehicles in Mars areosynchronous orbit might competitively provide continuous power if laser or 245 GHz microwave power transmission were utilized. This paper looks at the potential to reduce landed mass on Mars for a non-nuclear human mission and thus reduce mission cost by making the power receiving rectennas in situ on Mars surface.