School Teams up for SSP Functional Models

Details School Teams up for SSP Functional Models School Teams up for SSP Functional Models

Jan 2002

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2002iaf..confe.648p&link_type=abstract

IAF abstracts, 34th COSPAR Scientific Assembly, The Second World Space Congress, held 10-19 October, 2002 in Houston, TX, USA.,

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Scientific paper

Space Solar Power systems appear increasingly as one of the major solutions to the upcoming global energy crisis, by collecting solar energy in space where this is most easy, and sending it by microwave beam to the surface of the planet, where the need for controlled energy is located. While fully operational systems are still decades away, the need for major development efforts is with us now. Yet, for many decision-makers and for most of the public, SSP often still sounds like science fiction. Six functional demonstration systems, based on the Japanese SPS-2000 concept, have been built as a result of a cooperation between France and Japan, and they are currently used extensively, in Japan, in Europe and in North America, for executive presentations as well as for public exhibitions. There is demand for more models, both for science museums and for use by energy dedicated groups, and a senior high school in La Reunion, France, has picked up the challenge to make the production of such models an integrated practical school project for pre-college students. In December 2001, the administration and the teachers of the school have evaluated the feasibility of the project and eventually taken the go decision for the school year 2002- 2003, when for education purposes a temporary "school business company" will be incorporated with the goal to study and manufacture a limited series of professional quality SSP demonstration models, and to sell them world- wide to institutions and advocacy groups concerned with energy problems and with the environment. The different sections of the school will act as the different services of an integrated business : based on the current existing models, the electronic section will redesign the energy management system and the microwave projector module, while the mechanical section of the school will adapt and re-conceive the whole packaging of the demonstrator. The French and foreign language sections will write up a technical manual for the operation of the model and a guide to assist users with the basics of space solar power, with versions both in French and in English. The students of the commercial section will conduct global marketing and later handle international sales. Technical and market studies will take place at the end of the year 2002, while actual production, currently estimated at some twenty units, will take place during the first part of 2003. Initial operation will be assisted by institutional support and subscription sales from already identified customers, but later the operation will be self supporting, with eventually some cash benefit the school like in any normal commercial operation, before the "company" eventually will shut down its operation at the end of the school year in June 2003. The benefits of this high level "hands-on" operation will be very important, first because of the promotion of the SSP concepts and the understanding of the potential from space that it will foster. But the greatest reward will be for the students and the teachers involved in the operation, both simple and very complex at the same time, because they will integrate all the aspects of a "real" professional activity, around the great futuristic concept of providing clean and sustainable energy for Mankind and for the Earth...

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