Back at the NewSpace 2008 meeting. I came in late again and caught just the end of Eric Anderson's talk. Jeff Foust tells me that Anderson did not make any new announcements.
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Space Based Solar Power & Policy
Charles Miller (Session Chair) – President, Space Policy Consulting, Inc.
John Mankins – Chief Operating Officer, Managed Energy Technology LLC
LtCol. Paul Damphousse – U.S. Marine Corps, National Security Space Office Chief of Advanced Concepts
Col. Michael "Coyote" Smith – Former Chief, U.S. Air Force, National Security Space Office; Future Concepts, Dream Works
Geoffrey Styles – Managing Director, GSW Strategy Group, LLC

Miller:
- The study last year with DOD and the initial response from space advocacy groups went well.
- However, going to the next level of broader support is hard.
- How to make the next step to get a practical program going?

Styles:
- Had a long interest in space but has spent whole career in energy industry.
- How does SSP fit into the broad energy diet?
- US energy mix: coal, oil, nuclear, etc.
- Mix is not a good term, better to think of "diet". Mix implies equivalence and passivity.
- As in a diet, not all calories are equal.
- Electric only: nuclear + all renewables = 29%. Oil provides a very small amount of electricity.
- Delivered kWh's are fungible.
- Generation characteristics matter, e.g. ground solar only available during the day
- Dispatch Stack chart - cost vs. cumulative kWh
- How will dispatch curves shift in next 20 years?
- Shift to EVs would increase electric portion by 15%
- More wind, solar PV, solar thermal, etc.
- Less coal, more natural gas
- Next gen nuclear?
- How does SSP fit into this picture?

Open to panel.

Miller:
- How to sell to pragmatists?

Mankins:
- Got to show money can be made on short term.
- Business plans on 24-48 month scale.

Damphousse:
- Presentation of SSP NSSO study last year opened a 4-5 month window to make things "stick"
- Followed that with presentations at several conferences and workshops.
- In phase of "getting stuff done".
- Three areas:
-- Military apps. Some money available in AF to look further at this. Workshop held.
-- Interest by business sector. Talking with energy reps.
-- Demonstration strategy. Looking at an ISS based demo. Talking with NASA.
- There is some Congressional interest.
- Need to step out of echo chamber and talk to a broader audience.

Coyote:
- Accepted a position at AF Academy to lead SSP studies.
- Demo satellite project. Retrograde, sun-synchronoous orbit.
- Try to generate first real numbers on which to base
- Microwave bands not available so will use laser power transmission.
- Have to show that it is not weaponizable.
- Scalability questions.
- Little funding.
- As a academic institution, can accept outside funding contributions.

Miller:
What entity in the US govt. should be responsible for studying and evaluatiing SSP?

Damphousse:
- NSSO has become the defacto lead govt. organization in this area.
- Expect leader to be named later after SSP policy clarified.

Mankins:
- Talk of creating a DARPA like organization for energy.
- Pursue a portfolio of energy R&D efforts.
- However, DARPA projects are short term. Project leaders come in for a finite period.
- ONR has a much longer time frame and might be a better model.

Styles:
- Ultimately and energy not a space issue.
- Have to deal with DOE involvement.

Millers:
Suggestions for interesting demo ideas?

Styles:
- Focus in on those aspects of SSP that are unique to it.
- Intrigued with a proposal to use SSP to generate power for remote shale oil production plants.

Mankins:
- The day of studies is not passed.
- Against "publicity stunt" demos. Need to lead to feasible systems.
- Must be technically relevant.

Damphousse:
- Space to space transmission could be a useful niche that is unique to SSP.
- Space to Moon base for lunar night energy support.
- Terrestrial power transmission demos are being looked at.

Coyote:
- "Publicity stunts" might actually be useful to get the point across that such techniques are feasible to a broad audience.
- Show that a ground based laser can transmit power to a satellite just to power a light bulb.

Miller:
- DC-X was called a stunt by some people. Only went a few hundred meters high.
- However, it changed perceptions about the reusability of rocket engines and vehicles.

Damphousse:
- The Starshine satellites didn't provide any practical use but made a big impact on the students involved in building them.

Miller:
Legislative action program?

Mankins:
- Not a policy purpose of NASA, so not a good place to put such a project.
- A real dilemma to know where to put it.
- DOE collaborate with NSSO.
- Creating a new agency is too hard as a first step.

Damphousse:
- Can't campaign to Congress for funding.
- NSSO could do a lot if SSP was made a charter mission.

Coyote:
- Not having any money has meant no one can shut the project down!

Miller:
- A plea to audience to get involved in this area.

Mankins:
- Early GPS demos were helpful.

Damphousse:
- Get space solar into national conversation about energy.