Demonstration Experiment for Tethered-Solar Power Satellite

抄録

The technologies for the Solar Power Satellite (SPS) have been well studied on the ground and now it is highly required to make demonstration experiments in space as the next logical step. One of the important subjects to be verified in space is the microwave power transmission pointing at the rectenna site on the ground. It includes verification of high-power microwave power transmission through the ionosphere and demonstration of the retro-directive phase control technology for the microwave beaming. These studies can be conducted by the “Small Satellite” that is currently promoted as one of the near future space programs in Japan. The conceptual study for the demonstration experiment has shown that 1 kW class microwave power transmission experiment at 5.8 GHz in the low earth orbit is worthwhile and feasible under constraints of current concept of the “Small Satellite” program.