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A comment on Powering Planes with Microwaves Is Not the Craziest Idea.

Re:Powering Planes with Microwaves Is Not the Craziest Idea by ChuckMcM on Monday June 24, 2024 @01:03PM (#40778425)
Hah, oh and blind every satellite in low earth orbit sure. :-)

I think a better headline would be that it isn't "crazy" to suggest you could power an airplane with microwaves, but you probably wouldn't want to do it from the ground. Powering it from a solar power satellite has its own issues as well (it would tend to blind satellite receivers on the ground as the plane flew past).

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Re:Powering Planes with Microwaves Is Not the Craziest Idea by thehappypm on Monday June 24, 2024 @01:08PM (#40778478)
Satellites are 10x higher up than planes -- that probably helps.
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Re:Powering Planes with Microwaves Is Not the Craziest Idea by ChuckMcM on Monday June 24, 2024 @01:15PM (#40778520)
Of course, the inverse square law, but given they are not designed to deal with multi-megawatt transmitters shining a light in their eyes, well that would be an issue.

(Of course if satellites have secretly been launching with ginormous notch filters on their receivers for the last 10 years in anticipation of this that might be a thing. :-))

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