Re:How Japan Plans to Build an Orbital Solar Farm
by nickhalfasleep on Thursday April 24, 2014 @03:19PM
(#7642315)
In it's favor, a solar power satellite can get light nearly 100% of the time, while on the ground you are luck to average 50% with rotation and weather.
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Re:How Japan Plans to Build an Orbital Solar Farm
by cvbncvbncgbc on Thursday April 24, 2014 @03:39PM
(#7642458)
In what orbit, that doesn't require propulsion, do you get constant line of sight?
Re:How Japan Plans to Build an Orbital Solar Farm
by danielweber on Thursday April 24, 2014 @03:44PM
(#7642489)
They nearly always call for geosynchronous orbit, because they want to always be over the rectenna on the ground.
The Earth will occasionally put such a satellite into shadow, but remember that the Earth is tilted, and so is the equator.
Getting up to GEO is hella expensive.
Re:How Japan Plans to Build an Orbital Solar Farm
by mikeash on Thursday April 24, 2014 @03:52PM
(#7642547)
Just to put some numbers on it, GEO doesn't intersect the Sun-Earth line most of the time. The Earth's shadow touches GEO for a couple of weeks around the equinoxes, resulting in up to 70 minutes of shadow per day in that period. The rest of the time, they're in sun 100% of the time. So, as low as a 95% duty cycle at the worst point in the year, and 100% for most of the year.