Japan's space agency planning space-based solar power arrays
By Nilay Patel 
posted February 7th 2008 5:47PM
posted February 7th 2008 5:47PM
We've seen some pretty out there solar installations, but JAXA, the Japanese space agency, is about to get really far out with its latest project: a space-based solar array that beams power back to Earth. The agency is set to begin testing on the microwave power transmission system on February 20th, with an attempt to beam enough power over the 2.4GHz band to power a household heater at 50 meters (164 feet). That's certainly not the sort of large-scale sci-fi power system we were hoping for, but fret not -- if the tests are successful, JAXA's plan is to eventually launch a constellation of solar satellites, each beaming power to a 1.8-mile wide receiving station that'll produce 1 gigawatt of electricity and power 500,000 homes.
Right, the world isn't heating up enough with the solar energy already hitting our planet (and getting trapped inside or atmosphere, greenhouse-style), we have to go out into space and pull more in!
And if that doesn't kill the planet (and us) fast enough, under the rubrik of reducing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, we can use some of that extra energy to sequester the gas in big undersea bubbles! Can anyone say limnic eruption?
Why not position the space based solar panels between the South Pole and the sun, whiles still aiming the microwave transmission system at Japan. That way you could produce energy and stop the ice melting..
Well i know of at least one American/UK company involved in space based solar power Thats the Space Island Group check out there web site spaceislandgroup.com who were mentioned in the National Space Security Office report that came out last October from the pentagon