I am very pleased to be the Guest Editor for Journal No. 16 on Solar Power Satellites. This is a subject that has been the main interest of my life for the last 35 years.

In this issue of the Journal we have papers from a broad spectrum of experts who have written about different aspects of Solar Power Satellites and their potential to solve many of the world’s pressing problems.

The concept of Solar Power Satellites was conceived by Dr. Peter Glaser in 1968. They received serious study in the late 1970’s and the public was well aware of their potential. However, with the termination of the studies by the government in 1980, the concept all but disappeared from the public awareness. A few individuals struggled on through the years to bring solar power from space into reality. Now as our world faces the increasing problems of energy and the threat to our environment, we are looking again for what can power our world in the future without destroying it. We are turning again to the one source of energy that can do this for as long as the sun shines, Solar Power Satellites.

The papers in this journal address the potential of solar energy generated in space and brought to the earth via wireless energy transmission for the use by all the people on the earth. The technologies are known, but the will and leadership has been lacking. However, knowledge and leadership is now being displayed as evidenced by the authors of the papers in this Journal. Understanding of the potential of Solar Power Satellites is now expanding around the world. Evidence is building that 2010 will be the year that Space Based Solar Energy turns from an idea to the beginning of reality.

The editors have not taken the position of deciding which ideas will or will not work. It will be up to the policy people, the designers, manufacturers, financial planners and demonstrators of SPS projects to decide which ideas offered in Issue No.16 are plausible and workable. Our goal is to bring a world of potential solutions to solving the energy equation, so that ideas can be put to the test of curiosity, research, design and demonstration.

Read, enjoy, and join those of us who have been struggling through the years to bring this renewal of the earth to everyone on the earth.

Ralph Nansen, Guest Editor
Email: nansens@centurytel.net

Energy Crisis is published by CGPublishing/Apogee Books.

top