Comparison of Current Space Based Solar Power Proposals

Here is a paper written by Virtus Solis, Space based solar power startup. Virtus Solis is a funded startup working to develop space based solar power. They would leverage the low cost launch of the SpaceX Starship and modular satellites to enable power to be beamed from space at lower cost than coal or natural …

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2027 Orbital Space Solar Power Demo by Virtus Solis and Orbital Composites

Silicon Valley startup Orbital Composites and Michigan-based Virtus Solis Technologies announced plans Feb. 1 to conduct a 2027 space-based solar power demonstration. The 2027 mission is designed to showcase critical power-generation technologies including in-space assembly of solar panels and transmission of more than one kilowatt to Earth. The 2027 mission will be a precursor to …

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Energy Future Including Room Temperature Superconductors

I, Brian Wang, spoke with Randy Kirk about the room temperature superconductor developments and the future of energyo srand electric cars and trucks. Randy asked me about Elon Musk comments about his predicted future shortages. “My prediction is that we will go from…an extreme silicon shortage today to…an electricity shortage in two years,” Musk said …

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Caltech and China Racing to Space Based Solar Power

Caltech has disclosed that in 2013, Donald Bren, chairman of Irvine Company and a lifetime member of the Caltech Board of Trustees, donated over $100 million to form the Space-based Solar Power Project (SSPP). Space-based solar power will generate solar power in space and beaming it back to Earth. Donald Bren made his fortune with …

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Latest Space Based Solar Power Concepts and Experiments at Caltech

Caltech and Northrop Grumman are continuing to make research progress towards space-based solar power. In 2018, the aerial density of the 1-meter solar tiles in 600 grams. This is an improvement from 1500 grams per square meters in 2017. They are actually targeting an areal density of 160 grams per meter squared. They believe they …

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China Sunway TaihuLight supercomputer world top computer with 93 petaflops and uses domestic processors

China maintained its No. 1 ranking on the 47th edition of the TOP500 list of the world’s top supercomputers, but with a new system built entirely using processors designed and made in China. Sunway TaihuLight is the new No. 1 system with 93 petaflop per second (quadrillions of calculations per second) on the LINPACK benchmark. …

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NATO boosts support for Ukraine and Ukraine to boost defense spending to 5% of GDP and adopt full NATO standards by 2020

NATO Defence Ministers agreed on 15 June 2016 to boost NATO’s support for Ukraine with a Comprehensive Package of Assistance. The Package aims to help Ukraine strengthen its defences by building stronger security structures. In a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission, Allied ministers also exchanged views with Ukrainian Defence Minister Stepan Poltorak on the current …

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Outdoor air pollution is killing over 3 million per year and world air pollution increased by 8% from 2008 to 2013

Air pollution is a killer, and it’s getting worse. All forms of air pollution is causing the premature death of ten million people per year Outdoor air pollution increased by 8% from 2008 to 2013 Outdoor air pollution is still increasing and current trends would see it double by 2050 Air pollution levels in many …

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Powercube details for outdoor 40% efficient solar to electricity conversion using commercial cells

A solar research team at the University of New South Wales has converted over 40 per cent of sunlight into electricity, with an innovative take on Australian-designed solar tower technology. This is a follow up to an article yesterday about record outdoor solar power conversion efficiency. The team achieved 40.1 per cent efficiency in outdoor …

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Global Competitiveness Report

The 2012-2013 World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness report has insightful information It uses 2011 data but it is useful for undertanding global competitiveness and the broad strengths and weaknesses of nations. Here are the twelve pillars of competitiveness. A country can still be competitive with some weakness in different pillars but crippling deficiencies can break …

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