A Low-Cost Wireless Power Transmission Experiment

A solar power satellite (SPS) is a satellite dedicated to collecting solar energy on orbit, transforming it into microwave or laser energy, and beaming it to a receiving station on the ground. The transmitted energy is converted into DC or AC power for consumer use. Even a test version of the SPS would be a challenging and expensive undertaking due to the amounts of energy which need to be collected. Satellites measured in hundreds of meters and hundreds of millions of dollars are required for an accurate demonstration. It has been suggested that useful measurements can be made for substantially less if the beaming direction is reversed. A 30 kg, cubic satellite with 31 cm square faces costing under two million dollars is presented. The spacecraft is to receive, rectify and measure microwave power beamed from a highpower, ground-based radar station. Secondary payload opportunities have been analyzed in conjunction with the applicability, availability, and cost of government radar stations. Primary and back-up radar stations have been chosen. Orbital constraints recommended the selection of respective primary and back-up launch vehicles. The satellite is being designed to survive the launch environments of both launchers to increase the likelihood of mission success