OPTIMIZING A LOW COST SATELLITE ENERGY SYSTEM.

The potential advantages of proposed geostationary power satellites frustated by probable ionospheric damage and high cost encouraged the derivation and now the optimization of a modified satellite power system using lower, sun-synchronous orbits designed to minimize the limitations while avoiding creation of comparable new limitations. The previously proposed Iso-insolation Power Satellite (IPS) system would, among other things, eliminate localized enhancement of electron density in the ionosphere arising from and deflecting microwave transmission from power satellites, introduce a new satellite form which appears to be an improvement on current designs, significantly reduce power converter mass through utilization of a ferroelectric heat engine, and greatly reduce the size and weight of both the transmitting and receiving antennas due to the much shorter microwave link. It appears that a relatively simple derivative of the Space Shuttle could be used to implement the IPS system, and that such a system could provide power continuously worldwide at a cost significantly lower than fossil or nuclear power.