Space Based Applications :-

Planetary and lunar surface applications.

           Apart from the above presented large scale solar power satellites for providing power to Earth or their orders of magnitude smaller versions for space-to-space energy transmission, relatively large-distance laser power transmission are also considered to avoid the complexity and mass of cables for planetary or lunar installations in combination with a surface power plant. Such a plant could either be solar powered (e.g. small solar-powered stations installed on spots of permanent sunshine very close to the lunar pole) or be a small lunar surface nuclear reactor.




Powering tether “climbers” for a space elevator.

           In the frame of the ongoing studies related to space elevators, the power supply for the tether construction and payload carrying “climbers'' represents a substantial challenge. Wireless power transmission via lasers is currently the best option. In order to advance the related technology, NASA is organizing and co-funding for several years competitions with the aim to supply sufficient power from the ground for “climbers” to reach a minimum speed.




Wireless power-driven propulsion.

           Laser or microwave-driven acceleration by photon reflection has been proposed for propelling spacecraft for science missions to the outer solar system and even to nearby stars. In principle, such wireless beam-driven probes have the advantage that energy is used for the acceleration of only the payload (and the receiving/reflecting structure usually called a “sail”) but not the propelling beam generator.