|
|
 |
|
 |
|
Earth Science: The Terrestrial Environment and Space Solar Power
| |
|
RO#
17612 |
|
|
Location
Ames Research Center
Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000 |
|
|
Advisor Information
| Name | Phone | Email |
|
Skiles, Joseph (Jay) W.
|
(650)604-3614
|
joseph.w.skiles@nasa.gov
|
|
|
|
Research Area
|
Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
|
|
|
|
|
Keywords
Space solar power; Microwave radiation; Projected laser energy; Land use effects; SSP; SPS; |
|
|
Description
The concept of Space Solar Power (SSP) promises clean,
uninterrupted energy for the world. An array of satellites is
envisioned that will be in orbit where they will collect solar
energy and beam it to the surface of the Earth. One method of
beaming the captured energy to Earth is to use microwaves at 2.45
GHz. These nonionizing, low-energy microwaves probably will have
little or no direct effect on terrestrial ecosystems. However, this
is an unproved contention and it is uncertain what long-term effects
it will have on the biosphere. To begin to answer this question, an
experiment has been designed that exposes important agronomic plant
species to continuous microwave beams at 2.45 GHz and from between 1
to 10 milliwatts per square centimeter. The hypothesis is that
plants exposed to microwaves will be no different from those not
exposed to microwaves. The microwaves are broadcast over a tray of
growing plants in the laboratory and are then reflected onto the
test plants while the control plants are behind a microwave-opaque
shield. Both the test plants and the control plants are subjected to
the same temperature and lighting regime, and grown in the same size
pots in the same kind of potting mix. The plants are watered as
needed. Thus, the experiment is designed so that the only variable
to which the plants are subjected is microwave exposure. To test the
hypothesis, precise, nondestructive measurements are taken of plant
gas exchange and leaf chlorophyll concentration. Gross plant
variables such as stem length, internodal distance, and overall
vigor are also measured. Inferences about ecosystem response to
sustained microwave radiation will be made based on the plant
response to microwave radiation. Additional studies of plants
subjected to 5.8 GHz are anticipated. The technology to beam solar
power to Earth is or soon will be within reach of present-day
engineering capabilities. This research focuses on identifying,
defining, and analyzing plant and ecosystem response to beamed
microwave radiation as part of NASA's feasibility studies of SSP
generation satellites.
|
|
 |
|
 |
|