Power Satellites & Space Based Solar Power
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 ก.ย. 2024
- How transmitting power down from space may be our future.
Beaming energy down from satellites in orbit to replace the production of electricity on Earth may solve many of our problems, and avoid a potential economic or ecological crisis such as energy bottlenecks or global warming. Today we will explore how wireless microwave transmission of energy down to rectennas may not only be possible, but could be massively profitable in the near future and spur our exploration and colonization of space.
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Credits:
Power Satellites
Episode 144, Season 4 E30
Writers:
Isaac Arthur
Mark Warburton
Editors:
A.T. Long
Keith Blockus
Matthew Acker
Steve Nixon
Producer:
Isaac Arthur
Cover Artist:
Jakub Grygier www.artstation...
Graphics Team:
Jarred Eagley
Katie Byrne
Kris Holland (Mafic Studios) www.maficstudios.com
Sergio Botero www.artstation...
Narrator:
Isaac Arthur
Music:
Sergey Cheremisinov, "Sirius" www.s-cheremis...
Miguel Johnson, "So Many Stars" / migueljohnsonmjmusic
Aerium, "Fifth Star of Aldebaran" / @officialaerium
Sergey Cheremisinov, "Labyrinth" www.s-cheremis...
A.J. Prasad, "Cold Shadow" • Dark Future - Staring ...
Markus Junnikkala, "A Memory of Earth" www.markusjunn...
I like all of your series, but Upward Bound and Outward Bound are by far my favorite. That being said, when I show your channel to others I always pick something from Mega Structures. This is literally the only channel that I know the release day for.
Agreed!
Àd😅😅@DanteS-119
I saw a Popular Science article about "someday we will go to other stars in ships like this" or something to that effect. After watching this channel I can say either you raised the hell out of the bar or they just hit rock bottom and began to dig (or both). On an unrelated note, I wrote an article for a Star Wars D6 RPG fan pub about spacefaring bird people who use O'Neill cylinders and engage in starlifting. I added dramatic elements that don't make sense in the scientific sense, but it is an RPG with space wizards and such.
It's great to hear that these are nearing the point of being economical, at least in theory, but I have a feeling that overcoming the regulatory hurdles will be more difficult and take longer than overcoming the technical problems. However, I can definitely see prototypes going up in the next few years, and perhaps the first commercial ones within 10. I think though that people will have to become more comfortable with active support for structures a couple kilometers high before we reach for 100. This definitely seems like a good option for the 2030s and beyond, especially if they are cheaper and quicker to build than fusion reactors.
@Isaac: For the Generation Ship episode (or perhaps sometime in future, since this one is likely baked already) could you please try to address how we keep one of those things running for a few thousand years. I mean, we regularly have electrical components for computers fail after a mere decade, not to mention the hatch seals on your airlocks 'drying out' (plasticizer loss) - or vacuum welding shut if you choose to skip seals and go for close fit instead. I've loved the idea of these things since childhood (I'm 50 now), but there are some aspects of them that just seem even more daunting than 'simple' engineering megatasks like crafting millennialy stable ecosystems to support all the colonists.
I love the Steampunk space tower and flower satellite combo! Add in JP Aerospace's "Airship to Orbit" program, and we're golden. :D
Couldn't help but think of the microwave power plant disaster in Simcity 2000.
"And today NASA is launching a new program: Doing it cheaper, with Isaac Arthur"
I love the music u put into ur episodes :)
"I say good business is where you find it." -- Dick Jones, Sr. Vice President, OCP.
Isaac what is your opinion of the Beanstalk/World Tree from Xenoblade Chronicles 1 and 2? Do you think it's a feasible orbital ring structure?
Arthursday, yesss 😊 greetings from Germany
Thanks! I miss Germany, need to visit again sometime
Isaac Arthur let me know, i life nearby frankfurt(Airport), then we make a european fan con 😊
Time for my weekly dose of futuristic imagination.
love you daddy Issac
I just ordered two SFIA "Put a Ring on It!" Mugs - One for home and one for work.
I know Isaac Arthur really said "more durable" but I preferred it when I thought he had said that solar panels would get "more adorable" as time goes on :-D
living in china atm that made me feel very very weird to much anime!!!
"more adorable" is a less safer bet, I think. However, the good old man do recognizes himself as an ""optimistic" sometimes. He could have taken the risk.
I entered the Konami Code. It brought me here. I’m not disappointed.
Michael Winter lol I feel u. I have a "similar" story lol
Fifty wascally wabbits fowgot to hit CC.
You make my Thursdays worth waiting for, Mr. Arthur. Thank you for the stellar productions! ;-)
It honestly baffles me sometimes on why you don’t have at least 1 million subscribers?
In due time you will soon reach it! Thank you for your videos!
Considering that Isaac Arthur's channel is one of the best, if not _the best_ , channel on TH-cam, you certainly have a point.
King S- I certainly get your point about the great content coming from Issac and his team in producing one of the best utube channels.
I wonder why the question of " subscribers" numbers comes up on many of my favorite channels comments sections.
I don't subscribe to any channel, but enjoy many. I'm not interested in being in a "fan club", nor do I think "popularity", by numbers of "subs", is indicative of the content.
Issac's content is informative, creative and insightful, but at my age, I don't fall into "hero worship" of any kind.
So does the number of "subs" equal a popularity contest ? Do those who ask the same question as you did, feel a need to be in, or increase the "tribe"?
No disrespect intended...I simply find it interesting every time I read this same question asked, over and over....on many channels.
" It honestly baffles me..." , why it so important to others , why subscriber numbers are not as high as THEY think, the numbers should be?
I share his stuff every time its relevant to a conversation, and sometimes just when I think its cool :).
Furd Felmer I can certainly see your point in how subscriber numbers certainly don’t always reflect the quality of the channel, but I think it helps by providing another way for letting the content creator know if his audience is enjoying his videos.
Also subscribing is also another way of saying “most of the content you produce interest me, so I will be sticking around to see more from you in the future.” There are tons of you tubers who can produce amazing one-offs videos, but the rest of the content does not apply to your interests at all. Numbers don’t mean everything, but they do help in tracking your channel’s growth, audience, and their interests.
pineapplepenumbra I like how he covers stuff in depth but still manages to not go overboard.
I also enjoy some of the snarky humor incorporated into the videos, like the death ray part.
"Sir, you appear to be in violation of the 'no weapons of mass destruction in space' law."
"What? no, this is a power transfer system. Totally peaceful"
"And what about that other one that has a dozen high-powered lasers designed to completely wreck something you aim it at?"
"......mining lasers."
"And the one you are pointing at me right now is a laser pointer, i assume?"
"Nah, that one IS a death ray..."
i don't agree. Everything worth doing has risks and downsides.
You have much to learn.
If we don"t someone else will.
A huge solar power satellite can certainly power a laser which easily destroys any incoming missiles.
Does a set of space-based lasers which intercept all ICBMs at boost phase qualifies as 'weapons of mass destruction in space'?
"A big giant laser is also known as a _death ray"_
*AH*
Him: a big giant laser.
Me: a what?
Him: a death ray.
Me: Ummmm...?
Him: *sigh * G.D.I Ion cannon.
Me: oh, I get it now.
@@dyln84 this looks like a virus
*gets a drink and snack*
I sit down with lunch then load up the video from my inbox.
Hey stop/pause Im gonna bring my pillow and my dried fruits here. Ok Isaac im good :)
It's Arthursday my dudes
Chrisket yep been waiting hours
Best day of the year
woot woot
A fellow subscriber to Matt. Well met, my dude. You have good taste. ;-)
Sure are a lot of Arthursdays....
As a matter of fact, I DO upvote all of Isaac's videos site-unseen. I have absolute confidence they will be awesome, as always!
Another beautiful video. We need an official national holiday called Arthursday. These videos are just so inspirational cause I wanna be an astronautical engineer when I grow up and in a way it kinda teaches me about what I need to now.
Every Thursday is Arthursday.
Go go go! The world needs beautifull brains that apply themselves to thrust humanity forward. Guys like me (heart for science but unfortunally lacking the brains for it) are counting on you guys!
Boss: why do you need the day off
Worker: cuz Issac Arthur made a new TH-cam video
Boss : WHAT 😱, your a fan too , that's it everyone is off today it's very important to watch them lol
Man, Isaac, you ever feel you were born in the wrong time? I sure do. Wish I had been born 200 years from now. Aubrey DeGrey needs to make this life extension thing happen!!!
I can find the "like-button", and Ind hit it -also on this episode; but I can't find my Ole Henriksen "I love it-button" to show my actual level of appreciation...
I keep slamming the like button to get more likes...but the damn thing just put it on 1 like!
Issac, you are so eloquent and seemingly effortlessly intelligent. Please, lead us...
such a man is too intelligent to get roped into political leadership positions. Apparently we need morons to fill that role. (who might I be thinking of?)
@Curtixo The Marvels of today plotlitics :)!
Or should I say plotlithics as every loser ends in in the dirt :)!
Open democratic governing thats as close to 100% ethical and responsible as we can possibly make it is what I call common sense.. especially regarding operations of useful tools.such as powersattellite/doomsdayweapons. Isaac would be a very fine candidate in such establishment indeed.
Silly people. The Man *IS* leading us - in a Zen way. Not by taking power in office but educated us about way the future could be. He is "making the Future Great Again"!
18:30 I just cackled at the Coffee Mug promotion. Oh I needed that laugh, thanks Isaac. A fantastic episode.
18:33
Seeing that mug made me realize that i need more caffeine. And so went to make some coffee...
another great video, thank you Isaac.. you truly brighten ones day, illuminating us with how bright the future can be.. thank you
Thank you for another master piece
Thank you so much, Isaac for your effort. Your low number of subscribers is an insult to intelligence and profoundness. Take it as a reassurance that your doing it right.
Can't upvote this comment enough
Beautiful episode. So many concepts weaved in. Beaming power to space towers instead of all the way to the ground - brilliant!
If we beat energy scarcity, a whole lot of possibilities open up for us. Deserts can be turned into farms or new biospheres. All those bulbs we talked about in the ocean lighting up new pastures need to be powered somehow!
That's the thing we really can't just turn all the deserts into farmland cuz the deserts provide essential fertilizer for the tropical rainforest and forest around the planet , the Sahara desert wind the wind blows it blows nutrients all over to Africa fertile area, south America and Asia's rainforest and jungles etc
Powering my thursdays as usual! Happy Arthursday everyone :)
Total US cost spent on the Iraq war 2.4 trillion, not including Afghanistan. Could of built at least half a planetary ring mega structure with that, or a vacuum train network under the united states allowing coast to coast travel in 30 mins, or a base on the moon and mars easily, or again easily fully commercial fusion power.
Crop netting
Crop netting is used more frequently.
To get power from it would be a plus.
Many alternate power supplies are better used regularly for individual purposes on small scales.
Some single gigantic power station is a less practical solution.
I would prefer active-support tower, building-phase is bit difficult but on the plus side, you would build it near shore, you could topple it to sea in worst case scenario, plus you'd have (when building done) the large nuclear powerplants in ship(s) ready to go help power Haiti (it seems to frequently get hit by everything and anything Earth has to offer) or somewhere else. Also, once one tower is up your fleet of ships is mostly free to power construction of next etc...These towers would make desert bloom (slowly), Sahara full of daisies anyone ? :)
I love your videos, recommended you to my friends and they look forward to your videos as well. (Orbital rings are my favorite) this particular episode intrigued me because I’m a calibration technician for microwave equipment. As I’m writing this you just started talking about orbital rings! Lol weird. Keep up the awesome videos!
Thanks a lot for your channel Mr Isaac Arthur! I learn a lot and find your videos relaxing to listen to.....and I learn stuff!
Thanks for putting this out Isaac, sure it is another great video as ever and for me personally it helps fill a desire for more K0 to K1 videos.
Isaac is the man ! Been subscribed for about a year now and love your videos. I'm 55 and have learned more about science and the universe the last 5 years or so than I ever did in school thanks to channels like this one. Thank you
The most inspirational channel on TH-cam.
Hey Issac this isn't the video for it but I want you to see this. You used infrared when taking about growing plants in several videos (the one I remember and can have is the arcology) but if you look at the photosynthetic absorption chart infrared appears to be very inefficient. What is your reasoning behind using IR?
Chlorophyll uses the "red" spectrum of visible light. Edit: Well, some form of "purple", depending on species, is best.
TheAlgorath it's more blue but yea there's a reason grow lights are red and blue. I'm just wondering if there's another reason he has.
I don't think I've ever said we'd use infrared for growing plants, have I? Maybe as a gene-hack or something, but plants use most red, a bit of the other visible, and so we usually talk about not using it, blocking it out to cool things down.
Isaac Arthur true you could have been talking genetic modified stuff. I need to go rewatch some of your old stuff. I just recently got into gardening so I might be remembering it wrong.
Plants that evolve around red dwarf stars are more likely to evolve ways to use red and infra-red.
I was so relieved to get the notification it was Arthursday.
I was on the other side of TH-cam...
Nobody yes me too. I feel you so nice comming to the constructive side of youtube. He needs millions more subs
Imagine what base jumping in a wing-suit from a Karman tower would be like?
I always listen to your videos when I'm sleeping, helps me fall asleep and I keep playing every video until a new one arrives! Thanks for helping me sleep better, cheers ♥️
I hope you will return to the steampunk solar power-generation and desalination combination when you look at colonizing Earth's Oceans. I see those two things being key ingredients in driving early ocean colonization in places like South Africa, Australia, India, the Middle East, the Mediterranean, and Southern California- all hot dry coastal regions where fresh water is scarce, and with large power-hungry cities. Places facing flooding from Global Warming like Bangkok, New Orleans, Miami, NYC, Venice, and many island states may do the same thing but for other reasons that include the same steampunk solution. This is not unrelated to space either as the ocean is still more alien to us than the moon and Mars, and offers more than double the available surface area of all the land on Earth. And that's without exploring it as a living volume rather than a living area.
i love steampunk genre ! :) the idea of getting ridd of watter NO.
But we can stack it to the poles to maintain an forever constant land-ocean ratio
kukul roukul why would anyone want to get rid of water?
The population of Mauritius would happily vote to reduce the sea level by 50m, without considering costs or where it would go.
So kinda like that space station from that Isaac Asimov short story about the religious robots?
"Reason" I assume? Yeah a little. Sadly the Powell and Donovan stories don't seem to get as much of following as Bailey or Calvin's
Powell and Donovan stories are my favorite. If I was going to pitch a show based on iRobot it would be based on "service technicians" of US Robotics and Mechanical Men Inc. It's such a great formula for exploring ways the Three Laws can be subverted in specific circumstances.
They're like "who done it" mysteries, but "why wrong" instead.
"Reason" and "Liar!" are two of my favorite Asimov short stories dealing with the quirks of Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics.
dont like Asimov. his politics s**ks a lot
My whole problem with orbital rings, space elevators, and anything tethered to the planet is that any physical connection would effectively short the ionosphere to the ground. Do we have any materials with a high enough dielectric strength to withstand the high voltage differential across a trans-tropospheric tether?
Let the energy flow.
Huh, I never thought of that. I wonder if that could make for a viable power source.
All the ionization is up there, not in a difference in potential with Earth's surface.
But one of my problems with space elevators is much farther down, where there *is* such a difference. It seems to me that thunderstorms passing around such a structure would readily conduct cloud charges to ground through it...not unlike the exhaust trail of Apollo 12 did, in under seemingly less risky conditions.
I suspect that it is something that we could design for, ultimately it would mean designing the tether to handle a TLE discharge but this is not so fundamentally different to designing a tether to handle a lightning discharge. The maximum amount of the ionospheres charge that can interact at once is still limited by the dielectric strength of the vacuum medium that the charged particles are suspended within. Of course if anything the presence of the tether would also reduce the voltage when a breakdown occurs (Because a lower voltage buildup can occur before it will carry a current discharging the buildup). I'm just not convinced that this would be the major problem that you seem to think it would be though I'll admit I am no expert on this so if you have data that would prove otherwise I'd be happy to see it.
A big grounded tower pushing up into orbit will distort the electrostatic differential between the ionosphere and ground (at the very least, local to its geographical area.) Could this aforementioned distortion create a deviation in the earths natural energetic/magnetic/ionic shields?
Imagine, 100 years from now, how hard it will be to get kids to believe we actually used solar collectors UNDER the atmosphere.
It's funny. Beamed power reminds me of Sim City 2000.
That actually had a bunch of things in it you didn't see back in later iterations of the game (or only in some versions.)
Arcologies, and several forms of powerplant.
The game had coal, oil, gas, garbage burner plants, fission...
Wind turbines and solar plants. (mirror concentrator hot oil/sodium plant, not photovoltaic).
And of course, at the very high end, Fusion.
But, just below the top end fusion plant, you had the beamed power plant - which basically looked like a large radio dish, but was designed to pick up a beam from a solar array in orbit.
The other interesting thing is the disasters you could get randomly depended on various things in your city.
For instance, if you had a lot of water you'd be more likely to get a hurricane, otherwise you'd get tornados.
Lots of forest meant more fires.
If you had an airport, you could get plane crashes.
Having military bases made the alien and monster attacks more likely.
If you had a nuclear (fission) plant, you could have the worst disaster, a nuclear meltdown. (it's the worst because it leaves radioactive contamination that the game provides no method of removing, so parts of your city become permanently uninhabitable.)
But, the other power plant with a unique disaster associated with it was the orbital plant. And sure enough, the disaster is the beam targeting going wrong, and thus instead of hitting the powerplant it starts cutting a path through your city... (the beam is invisible, but you see it cut through buildings, destroying stuff and starting fires.)
I miss those subtle touches... XD
I found this episode inspiring. It was very well-presented and thought-provoking. We need to move beyond terrestrial-based, heavily polluting energy production. Satellite-based solar and nukes would no doubt have a powerful effect on human civilization and our environment. Problem: once governments around the world, particularly our own, discover that space-based power would represent an existential threat to the powerful fossil fuel industry, a lot of politicians would start complaining that returning to the moon is too expensive and we need to cut back on funding. Existential threat eliminated, progress thwarted.
Also the platform can be used as an orbital smelter!
If we develop a network of solar power satellites, I vote we name it Greyskull. Thus, many things could be achieved 'by the power of Greyskull." ;) Also, I only recently discovered your channel and have been working my way through the back catalog of videos. So much good, thought-provoking stuff. Keep it up.
Huge mistake around 1:00: „Solar power is useless during cloudy days”. It is not. During cloudy days solar panels still work, providing 20-30% of their peak capacity. Not impressive, but if we have enough of them, they are still useful.
As much as Iron Stars is my favourite episode (9-10 watches), I do love these near-future-possible ones. I'm preparing to study my masters soon in Politiics, Law and Ethics and I'm making futurism and its principles a major focus.
19:24 Somebody please show this video to Elon Musk! 😂
Elon Musk is obviously well aware. He worked on Hyperloop and still owns most of Tesla and The Boring Company.
That guy is a funking joke? Hot air can only provide so much lift! Surely we'd want the project to succeed so how about using some actual engineers at CEO level?A financier should not get involved in operations no matter how vane they are :)
Too bad hyperloop is never going to work, nor bfr's human rating and cost-effective transport from town to town... I bow down to Elon Musk for making rockets to get off this rock, and decently capable car, but look at his mockup of bfr in Jupiter radiation belt WITH solar panels-so much hot air. But, he must do what he must in order to get his Mars underground living habitat going (by pushing profits to bfr's sole semi-realistic purpose).
Toni, Have you any evidence whatsoever to back up your claim about the Hyperloop?
Chippy. You'd be surprised to know that Musk is not "a financier". He studied physics and economics, intended to get a PhD for Battery technology, and has informally practiced and studied engineering his entire life. He's practically an engineer and physcist, and it just so happens that he knows how to handle finances too
"Watching SFIA without sufficient caffeine may cause existential dread." LOL!
What's your opinion on powered satellites that collect higher-energy radiation than visible light? Like you say, the atmosphere filters out nearly all light with shorter wavelengths than the electromagnetic spectrum. But in space, ALL of that is potentially available, since the sun fairly evenly distributes its light across a wide portion of the radiation spectrum. I'm not very well versed on how solar collection works, but my intuition is that UV light and X-Ray light would net considerably more energy than visible light, correct?
As far as backup energy generation and storage go, I think it's important to note that you CANNOT remove a hydroelectric damn without creating an ecological catastrophe, so no matter what future power generation we have, we will still have our existing hydro electric plants. And since they convert gravity into electricity as long as you have water stored behind them, they act as energy storage devices, too.
These are NOT intended to be used as power plants or energy collection. These are to be used for the reason as the one that was utilized against Paradise City, Santa Rosa and Malibu: to Target burn structures. Imagine a thousand of these in space.... That means 1,000 cities can be burned to death in the same exact moment.
The key is to control those who control the companies and governmental regulatory divisions that control these things. As it stands, there is zero accountability and the governmental system does not allow going after high tech terrorists, specifically when it comes to company owners of weapons platforms - which is what this all actually is.
This is exactly what I needed after a morning full of staff meetings!
What do you think about creating automated solar panel farms on the surface of the moon and beaming that energy back? The Moon has no atmosphere and building and deploying the panels on the moon should be easy (except, does the Moon have sufficient Copper?)
The downside I would see if that the panels would only be illuminated 1/2 the time, but would that 50% loss still be more economically feasible than lifting them off the Moon into a LaGrange point?
It would seem to me. tha putting the collector over water. even smaller ones aroudn the globe. (its not flat) would resolve the issue of "death ray" near citys. we build ugly oil platforms. lets build a 5X5 mile rectenna. put them near (10 miles off shore) ramp up the beam power. and do the handshake.
Microwave oven frequencies are tuned to boil water. There's a LOT of water in our atmosphere. We would lose a lot of power just to heat our already hot atmosphere. What about heating green house gases, which retain the heat longer? Perhaps there's a better frequency for the microwave relay.
Isaac, I've been away for a while but now I'm back. I can hear the improvement in your ability to speak. It never bothered me, in the first place, because I grew up around people who had various problems speaking. I really enjoy your channel because it's so scientific, straightforward, and interesting. In fact, I just clicked the 'Always Notify' option under the notification bell. Thank you for all your hard work to produce such great videos. I look forward to watching and hearing more of them. Please keep up the good work.
Elon Musk is less convinced... th-cam.com/video/9YZVAMh8b0s/w-d-xo.html
Of course, I think he is thinking short term, and not considering manufacturing the panels in space (and other non-energy uses)
Is it possible to use the earth's electromagnetic field to generate power from space via a mega-structure, space based collector/generator...then wire it down via towers, graphene wire transmission or whatever. Seems to me, that could be another nearly unlimited power source.
Hi Issac, can you talk about metatronics? Computing with light as opposed to electrons and how this might affect technology, especially space flight.
Big freakin’ lasers always help. Not only can you beam your energy back down to the surface but you can push ships to immense speeds with ‘em too.
the last few weeks have been quite hard at the office... it is allways so great and relaxing to watch your videos. you have such a easy-to-understand way of explaining topics it baffles me every time! not to mention your sceduel of upcoming topics at the end of every video, you are working hard for this channel and are deserving of many more subscriber in my oppinion.
thank you for being here!
I know you can use literal chicken wire as a microwave antenna ...
BUT surely if you want a lot of energy to go through the wire needs to be a REALLY good conductor, right?
What I mean is at this scale of energy throughput if you used a copper wire mesh, wouldn't it just heat up and melt?
Would you need superconductors?
I don't think he meant literal chicken wire.
The collector is a mesh, LIKE chicken wire. And no a solid wall, like solar panels.
Yeah, this wouldn't be something an individual would just toss together as a home-improvement project. It would be the result of a company or govt setting up a program that slightly compensates farm owners for the mild inconvenience of having a somewhat high-tech mesh (honestly not *that* high tech, just expensive) suspended over their land. Luckily we have lots of precedent for this in both the public and private sector when it comes to needing lots of land for odd projects, so it's pretty feasible
No no I mean the literal physical limitations ... What kind of mesh can carry that much power through without melting?
Or can you just use copper wire if the mesh is large enough and the beam diffuse?
Well, we _could_ "just use copper wire if the mesh is large enough and the beam diffuse".
So really the question becomes how diffuse do we want/need the beam to be.
at 17:14 he says that the rectenna will receive "gigawatts" of power over a large distance.
at 22:45 he talks about the benefits of putting the rectenna on a "common space towers"/"Atlas pillars". One of these benefits was that we didn't need "the trade off of concentration for safety".
What I'm eluding to is that the chicken wire on the ground hits its limit from safety concerns of what ISN'T collected much earlier than it hits the physical limits of the building materials.
EDIT:
at 15:22 he says that we would beam the microwaves down "at about 100 Watts per square meter" for the safety concerns.
100 Watts is basically nothing, so copper wiring should do fine (if not overkill)
There are limits to overheating, but the limits are mainly important when using this sort of beamed power to target microwave-sails (like solar sails, but not).
On the ground, the biological safety limits are so much lower than the limits from any metal's melting point that people might even use aluminium because it's cheap and light even though it's a terrible conductor - we already do this with power cables, IIRC.
Some day our ancestors will look into the night sky and see not cold lonely space but many thousands or millions of outposts of life. Parents will not only show children where the constellations are but also where their distant relations live. We will have an answer and know we are not alone. Gods speed earthlife beings.
"Rectenna", not sure I'd be too comfortable with that...😂
I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that despite your illustration of a karmen tower is inaccurate because, I don't think you would see blue skies or clouds at the karmen line.
Am I missing something?
It's actually our spacescraper animation, no time to make one specifically as a Karman Line one unfortunately.
Cool, I was simply curious. Like most people, I've never been beyond the Karmen line. But you mentioned tourists enjoying the view and I couldn't help but extrapolate what they would be able to see and it just popped, the Karmen line is way higher than the clouds. Good to know my knowledge of the Earth's atmosphere is still intact.
What about creating large particle accelerators to create plutonium from non fissile uranium and then get it back down to earth and use them in nuclear reactors?
A giant laser in space is also useful for heating up a giant bowl of Jiffy Pop.
everybody says it's a problem to cover land.... cannot we just cover deserts? There are no clouds anyway, no use of the space.... the few animals would love the shade.
- Can we convert deserts into solar panels? Cover them in collectors good few meters above ground, slanted so the sand falls off.... Why is it a stupid idea?
Martin Verrisin The biggest issue is how to store the energy at night.
Petter Birgersson - I don't understand... Or you mean a general problem with solar? I'm not saying the light couldn't be beamed to the collector by just mirrors in orbit, but otherwise, storing it seems to be the same kind of problem as anywhere else.
I also assume you would have wires carrying the electricity away from the desert - not really storing it there.
Martin Verrisin I referred to the general problem with solar power for the moment. When it comes to solar panels in space further on in the future that would be another matter, since the solar collectors in space could be more exposed to the sun than on the ground.
Jerboa's live in that desert. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerboa
And you mean to say Jerboa couldn't handle some shade? Or that since it would allow more species to live there it would drive these extinct? Nature is much harsher than solar panels could ever be...
Great episode! I've been saying for years that the only way we are ever really going to establish a permanent foothold in space is to develop a return on the investment of getting there (beyond just research). Power satellites has always struck me as the most obvious and immediate avenue for that return.
Its crazy you bring a 30 min. episode every week...almost feel guilty watching it for free.
orbital ring -> collectors on the ring -> send energy via the tethers to the planet surface
Isaac please do a video on molten salt thorium fission reactors.
Our only hope
pop the popcorn, its Isaac Arthur Thursday!
This is the way forward. Today space solar tomorrow a Dyson cloud!
Fantastic episode!!
Would you consider a follow-up video about all the various options for beaming power upwards? For example, DARPA just declassified a project to that effect.
I'm campaigning for Joe Rogan to get you on his show.
no just no...
A lot of folks seem to suggest that, weirdly more than all other podcast and radio shows combined. I've never asked for an interview and I've never turned one down so far, I figure if they want me there things will go better so wait to be asked. Rogan runs a good show, if he asks me on I I'd be honored.
Isaac Arthur I mostly want it so you can get the exposure you deserve.
Agreed, plus Rogan seems to enjoy subjects and topics Issac is well versed in explaining...it would be a great discussion to watch.
YES! Being a big fan of both, how did I not think of this!
Or how about Isaac and Fraser (Cain) together on Joe's show?
Where Fraser is very well versed on current exploits in space, Isaac could take it in the future?
it is sad, America spends $700 bn a year on the military.
In a waiting room with a new specialist, he is running behind. Being a professional patient means a lot of hurry up and wait. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to put up these.
Been there, done that, boring as hell :)
NEWS NEWS NEWS!!
New 2019 defense budget contract guidelines::
Air Force is being forced to consider spaceX and BO for all future launches, and their ban on reused rockets has been lifted.
If they decline to use the option that costs 1-10% as much as their other contracts they are required to report to Congress exactly why they would make such a horrible decision.
Big step toward launches costing a few million, instead of billion. Yes that really is the level of efficiency we are talking about.
This video is incredible. Thank you Isaac and the team!
This stuff is what made me want to get into energy policy. Freakin' love your work, man.
It's not a speech impediment, it's a one of a kind accent.
Space mirrors could be used to take energy from places where it is too hot and transmit
to Russia an Canada making more land for comfortable living, agriculture, costal vacations. Total amount of energy consumed by earth would stay the same.
Funding this amazing channel is never shameless!
a double negative of sorts, you have there. On one hand, you are literally suggesting that funders should be full of shame (moral embarrassment). Also in ordinary English usage, it means "incapable of shame because the person is without conscience". So you've not only got it wrong, but it's the wrong context to use the word. English lesson for the day!
A double entendre.
Stage 1: A maglev rocket sled that is accelerated in an eastward facing vacuum tunnel up the side of a mountain, getting to supersonic speeds before the end of it. The airlock is released and the door opens just before the sled reaches the end of the track. It releases its payload and returns to the end of the track.
Stage 2: This stage uses a scramjet engine which can only have powered flight at supersonic speed and with enough oxygen content in the atmosphere. The scramjet keeps accelerating and going up until it can no longer function, releases Stage 3 and glides back down to a prepared runway.
Stage 3: A standard rocket, but now much of the work getting into space has already been done, allowing it to have a much better payload-to-fuel ratio and not have to deal with as dense an atmosphere while going supersonic speeds.
It takes my ipad 3 seconds to start the video. By that time, it already had my "like". =]
Pardon my ignorance, but I still don't understand how microwaves being beamed down to a rectenna over a farm wouldn't cook things below the chicken wire.
Another application which came up in the time since this was published: decarbonizing cargo shipping. Cargo ships burn glorified asphalt as fuel, and it pollutes a lot. Alternatives like ammonia and LNG are either still too low on the TRL ladder to deploy, or have lots of drawbacks, or both. Beamed power cargo ships would be pretty cool, they could extend their chicken wire rectenna out over the top of their ship like a sun roof, and be carbon free with unlimited range. Ditching the fuel tanks and diesel engines would even free up more mass budget & internal volume for payload!
At around 15:02 details of 'wireless" transmission of electricity thru the use of microwaves is discussed. It struck me, that was the goal of N. Telsa decades and decades ago...correct?
Could it be, somewhere, somehow...some 'hidden" research data of Telsa's work, has been in use for a long time...without the knowledge of anyone, except those entities seeking to exploit it for their own benefit?
I don't know, but the physics involved has been around for a very long time, only funding of 'edge breaking" technologies would be necessary, to make the physics reality. Black Projects or programs could easily fill that "funding" necessity...without any public knowledge it existed.
You forgot the most important application that could be done right now: massive shades in Lagrangian L1 reducing the solar influx by 3-4%, enough to cancel any kind of "global warming" effect or fluctuation in the Sun's radiation (the main trigger in what we call "global warming" and ice ages). At the same time, when and if a Maunder Minimum will take place, the solar shades / mirrors could reflect back more energy, heating the Earth or part of it.
Also, Philip Lubin could use those mirrors to generate some energy and power his giant 10 GW array of 1928 nm lasers in order to deflect any asteroid heading to earth. Or use it as a giant space weapon against totalitarians. The cost for all of this is just a fraction of what we spend now on "CO2 reduction" and "green certificates". All the industries would benefit from a lower cost of energy, if that is produced from coal with sequestration and in remote places, and at the same time, the energy bill would not include any kind of wind&solar subsidies (that will go to this massive laser space project). Win / Win for all and a massive incentive for a Moon Base, where all of that manufacturing for the 1500 km mesh array will take place.
th-cam.com/video/XwYJZqBB0ms/w-d-xo.html
1.bp.blogspot.com/_JtKzQh0R9Tg/ShoeWDFE8PI/AAAAAAAAAoI/8NiaXweN9dY/s1600/how-to-move-the-sun3.jpg
To the surprise of absolutely no one, you have put out another wonderful video.
I wonder if a wind farm with a rectenna suspended over it would allow a sort of "double dipping" for energy?
Now I'm especially looking forward to space farming. I worked out one time that you could feed the world with a few modified "Island Three" space habitats. Of course I didn't consider things like waste heat, but I considered it a basic "food needn't be a problem" demonstration.
[ ENGLISH ]
The Leathal Qualitative Human Choice - A One World Government - Our Course in the Stellar Space
the all humanity that will be affected by something terrible: The Leathal Qualitative Human Choice.
The change of the governments and the exposure and breakdown of the financial institutions. The planet soon will be cleared of the old system and control.
"ad astra per aspera !" ( is a Latin phrase which means any of the following: "Through hardships to the stars", "A rough road leads to the stars", or "To the stars through difficulties" )
Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth
( please using the right click of your mouse, and Open Link in Next Private Window, )
sites.google.com/site/ourcourseinthestellarspace/
==
[ PORTUGUES ]
A escolha humana qualitativa de Leathal - um governo de um mundo - nosso curso no espaço estelar toda a humanidade que será afetada por algo terrível: A escolha humana qualitativa de Leathal. A mudança dos governos e da exposição e divisão das instituições financeiras. O planeta será cancelado logo do sistema e do controle velhos. “ad astra per aspera!” (é uma frase latino que signifique algum do seguinte: “Com as dificuldades às estrelas”, “uma estrada áspera conduz às estrelas”, ou “às estrelas com as dificuldades”) (por favor usando o direito - clique de seu rato, e a relação aberta na janela privada seguinte,)
sites.google.com/site/adastraperasperanoportugues/
e
sites.google.com/site/ourcourseinthestellarspace/
==
[ DEUTSCH ]
Die qualitative menschliche Wahl Leathal - eine eine Welt regierungs- unser Kurs im Sternraum die alle Menschlichkeit, die durch schreckliches etwas beeinflußt wird: Die qualitative menschliche Wahl Leathal. Die Änderung der Regierungen und der Belichtung und Aufschlüsselung der Finanzinstitute. Der Planet bald wird vom alten System und von der Steuerung geklärt. „ad astra per aspera!“ (ist eine lateinische Phrase, die irgendwelche vom folgenden bedeutet: „Durch Härten zu den Sternen“, „eine raue Straße führt zu den Sternen“ oder „zu die Sterne durch Schwierigkeiten“) (bitte unter Verwendung des Rechtsklicks Ihrer Maus und öffnen Sie Link im Folgenden privaten Fenster,)
sites.google.com/site/adastraperasperaaufdeutsch/
und
sites.google.com/site/ourcourseinthestellarspace/
==
[ ESPANOL ]
La opción humana cualitativa de Leathal - gobierno de un mundo - nuestro curso en el espacio estelar toda la humanidad que será afectada por algo terrible: La opción humana cualitativa de Leathal. El cambio de los gobiernos y de la exposición y avería de las instituciones financieras. El planeta pronto será despejado del viejos sistema y control. “ad astra per aspera!” (es una frase latina que significa el siguiente un de los: “Con dificultades a las estrellas”, “un camino áspero lleva a las estrellas”, o “a las estrellas con dificultades”) (por favor usando el clic derecho de su ratón, y el vínculo abierto en la ventana privada siguiente,)
sites.google.com/site/adastraperasperaenespanol/home
y
sites.google.com/site/ourcourseinthestellarspace/
==
[ ITALIANO ]
La scelta umana qualitativa di Leathal - un un mondo governo il nostro corso nello spazio stellare tutta l'umanità che sarà colpita da qualche cosa di terribile: La scelta umana qualitativa di Leathal. Il cambiamento dei governi e dell'esposizione e ripartizione delle istituzioni finanziarie. Il pianeta presto sarà rimosso di vecchi sistema e controllo. “ad astra per aspera!„ (è una frase latina che significa c'è ne di quanto segue: “Con le difficoltà alle stelle„, “una strada ruvida conduce alle stelle„, o “alle stelle con le difficoltà„) (per favore facendo uso del cliccare con il pulsante destro del mouse del vostro mouse e del collegamento aperto in finestra privata seguente,)
sites.google.com/site/adastraperasperainitaliano/
e
sites.google.com/site/ourcourseinthestellarspace/
==
[ FRANÇAIS ]
Le choix humain qualitatif de Leathal - un gouvernement de l'un monde - notre cours de l'espace stellaire la toute l'humanité qui sera affectée par quelque chose terrible : Le choix humain qualitatif de Leathal. Le changement des gouvernements et de l'exposition et panne des institutions financières. La planète bientôt sera dégagée du vieux système et contrôle. « ad astra per aspera ! » (est une expression latine qui signifie suivre l'un des : « Par des difficultés aux étoiles », « une route rugueuse mène aux étoiles », ou « aux étoiles par des difficultés ») (svp utilisant le droit - clic de votre souris, et le lien ouvert dans la prochaine fenêtre privée,)
sites.google.com/site/adastraperasperaenfrancais/
et
sites.google.com/site/ourcourseinthestellarspace/
==
[ GREEK - ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΆ ]
Η θανατηφόρα ποιοτική ανθρώπινη επιλογή - Μια Παγκόσμια Κυβέρνηση - Η πορεία μας στο αστρικό διάστημα. Όλη η ανθρωπότητα θα επηρεαστεί από κάτι τρομερό. Η θανατηφόρα ποιοτική ανθρώπινη επιλογή. Η αλλαγή των κυβερνήσεων και η έκθεση και η κατανομή των χρηματοπιστωτικών ιδρυμάτων. Ο πλανήτης σύντομα θα απαλλαγεί από το παλαιό σύστημα και τον έλεγχο. "ad astra per aspera !" "στ' άστρα μεσ' από δυσκολίες" (Το μέλλον μας είναι τα αστέρια)
Όταν έχεις εξαλείψει το αδύνατο, αυτό που μένει, όσο απίθανο κι αν είναι, πρέπει να είναι η αλήθεια.
( παρακαλώ χρησιμοποιώντας το δεξιό κλικ του mouse, ανοίξτε τον επόμενο σύνδεσμο ( ιστοσελίδα ) σε ξεχωριστό παράθυρο προς τα δεξιά, )
sites.google.com/site/iporeiamasstoastrikodiastima/
==
The environmental implications are huge... Initially it will be a good way to get power to remote areas... Once there are a lot of solar power satellites 🛰️ you can do things like having them reduce light to mountains with snow packs or to areas in danger of permafrost melt... Or orbiting over the projected path of a hurricane (weakening it or diverting it to a less populated area)... Space based solar power gives you a strong capability to nudge the water cycle and weather ☁️🌡️... Besides providing A LOT of power for things like data centers...