Beamed laser power in support of near-earth missions
It was found that solar-pumped laser-beamed power is lighter than photovoltaic for power requirements of 150 KWe and above, and is competitive with combined photovoltaic/solar-dynamic over the entire power range investigated. A space station supported by laser-beamed power can be a lower-g facility (reduced drag) than with PV or PV + SD power; has greater freedom of orientation (small receiver moves rather than large arrays or concentrators); and requires less structure (arrays, alpha joints, booms) permitting easier control and fewer vibrational modes. Laser power beaming offers a revolutionary concept for planning designing, and powering large orbiting spacecraft.
Conway, Edmund J.↗