From: "Strong, Lee" <StrongL at MTMC.ARMY.MIL>
To: "WSFAList (E-mail)" <WSFAList at keithlynch.net>
Subject: [WSFA] Solar Power Safety
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2003 09:28:09 -0400
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>

	Keith Lynch points out that solar power satellites possess many
safety advantages over nuclear reactors.  In addition, there are a number of
obvious safety measures that can be taken to reduce concerns that a
orbit-to-ground power transmission beam will turn into a Death Star type
death ray.
	First, the transmitter satellite should track the accuracy of its
target lock on the receiving antenna via celestial navigation and via
comparison with ground station signals.  If it loses target lock by a small
amount, it immediately corrects itself.  If it loses target lock by a larger
amount, it shuts down the beam until target lock is definitely
reestablished.  It uses multiple tracking techniques to insure a high degree
of accuracy and therefore safety.  The ground station signals would be
transmitted from rings of sensors surrounding the receiving antenna.  In all
cases, the transmitter and ground stations would report any problems via
multiple channels to human monitors who would be able to stop beam
transmission by system commands, or, if all else fails, by a big knife
switch.
	Second, the receiving antenna may be placed on waste ground where
there is nothing under the antenna but bare rock and maybe ice.  A number of
isolated valleys in the high Rocky Mountains meet this criterion.  There
would still be a problem for birds flying into the beam, but birds are
relatively rare in the high Rockies.
	Third, power transmission would be a logical job for an orbital
tower.  Mount the solar power generators on the tower and all transmission
is by landline.  Even if the generators are in a separate orbit,
transmitting to the tower for landline relay to Earth would increase the
safety factor over direct transmission to Earth.