NASA appears to have cancelled its research into space-based solar power (SBSP) systems 鈥� orbiting solar arrays that beam microwaves to receivers on the ground, where the energy is converted to electricity.
Seen as one technology for combating climate change, faces major challenges 鈥� including the cost of launching hundreds of square kilometres of solar arrays to an altitude of 36,000 kilometres. Now a letter leaked to the NasaWatch.com blog says the space agency 鈥渄oes not have the resources available to support a proposed demo for SBSP鈥�.
Advocates of the technology are still urging President-Elect Obama to adopt it by posting pro-SBSP research papers on his change.gov website. Some members of his transition team are also thought to support solar power from space.
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