A Lightweight Space-based Solar Power Generation and Transmission Satellite — mentioned by TeMPOraL

Fri, 24 Jul 2026 17:46:43 GMT

> Could we have giant nuclear reactors in space? We could. The usual stumbling block is how to ship fissile material upwell without the risk of a launch failure spreading highly radioactive material over several countries. > What's the power loss from beaming down power? I think it's about 10% from atmosphere alone, but you have to add losses from other components in the system, including light -> current -> RF and RF -> current legs, and I've seen estimates ranging from 15% to 40% efficiency end to end; this random article includes breakdown with estimates, that multiplies down to 37.5%…

Paper and discussion history. A mention is not an endorsement.

A Lightweight Space-based Solar Power Generation and Transmission Satellite · HackerPapers discussions

A Lightweight Space-based Solar Power Generation and Transmission Satellite — mentioned by TeMPOraL