Concept of the lunar power system

TLDR: In this paper, the development of efficient solar power systems is dependent on their placement in GEO (SPS) or on the moon (LPS), which poses unacceptably high environmental risks.

Abstract: It is asserted that the development of efficient solar power systems is dependent on their placement in GEO (SPS) or on the moon (LPS). Conventional large scale power sources (fission, coal, hydrocarbons) will eventually be depleted and pose unacceptably high environmental risks. Fusion power plants will need an infrastructure that cannot yet be envisioned. Terrestrial solar, biomass and wind energy plants require large land areas and massive quantities of materials to achieve significant outputs. Orbiting SPS stations offer greater energy output/mass ratios than available on earth. The receiving rectenna would be of nearly the same mass of a large coal-burning power plant. Lunar materials could be used to build the SPS, or power plants on the moon. Lunar and terrestrial rotations would require relays in space to maintain a continuous power stream. The lunar soil, a good dielectric, could be made into a glass or ceramic to support solar cells in arrays covering 10,000 sq km. Finally, actual system features, as well as the necessity of planning for long payoff times in financing, are discussed. 36 references.