http://ssi.org/wp-content/DARPA_SSP_demo.html

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2001/12/13/MN111979.DTL

http://www.pinktentacle.com/2007/09/electricity-from-orbiting-solar-powered-lasers/


Launch giant solar panels into orbit and send limitless clean energy back to Earth.


It is possible, but unlikely, that the microwave beam will miss the receiving antenna and fry something on Earth's surface, like a village.
But that problem can be overcome by developing something that turns off the beam if it drifts out of line.

It is possible, but unlikely, that the microwave beam will miss the receiving antenna and fry something on Earth's surface, like a village...

... or an unruly Arab state or two.

Photovoltaics are barely economical here on Earth. How is sending them into space -- adding to the cost immensely and making maintenance virtually impossible -- going to be a good idea?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyson_sphere

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyson_sphere

Nigga please. Where the FUCK are you gonna find that much matter?

Just for the sake of argument, if we knocked apart the moon we could make a sphere straddling earth's orbit about 100m thick, or a ribbon around the sun as wide across as the earth 1.8 km thick.

*cough*simcity*cough*

*cough*simcity*cough*

That's what I thought :p

maybe I'm missing something, but how would you get electricity from the laser, or microwave, or whatever?

Why not stick mirrors or something out in the desert and use the sun's rays for power? You can melt steel, boil water, etc with concentrated sunlight.

Why don't we just mass-produce wind turbines and plant them EVERYWHERE?

Isn't this going to heat up the Earth even more? I mean photovoltaics, antennas etc. are limited in efficiency.

... or an unruly Arab state or two.

THIS...both hilarious and brilliant. many lolz will be had by the rest of the world.