Abstract

The physical aspects of using a solar power satellite to beam microwaves to a receiving antenna as a source of base load power are addressed. Emphasis is placed on microwave beam interaction with the ionized upper atmosphere and effects on the atmosphere of emissions from heavy-lift launch vehicles needed to carry into space the materials to be assembled into the satellite. Also considered are ohmic heating, wave self-focusing, collisional heating and cooling processes of the ionospheric plasma and possible telecommunication problems. It is found that the beam power density of 23 mW/sq cm originally proposed as a threshold for nonlinear interactions could be doubled to 40 or 50 mW/sq cm.