The Department of Energy and NASA are engaged in an intense three-year analysis to determine what course of action the Federal government should pursue relative to this nonconventional energy system. Information is presented in the form of charts for the following: (1) program organization; (2) major program milestones; (3) activity schedule for the program; (4) preliminary baseline comparison by two Systems Definition Centers; and (5) program definition plan (funding by agency management responsibility)

Larock, R. I.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

SATELLITE POWER SYSTEMS PROGRAM 
Ralph I. LaRock 
NASA Headquarters 
The Department of Energy and the National Aeronautics and 
Space Administration are engaged in an intensive three-year 
analysis to determine what course of action the Federal govern- 
ment should pursue relative to this nonconventional energy 
system. 
Opinions concerning the potential viability of the 
concept now cover a wide emotional spectrum which ranges 
from very negative to highly enthusiastic. In reality, 
this diversity of opinion merely reflects the uncertainty 
which surrounds the technical feasibility and operational 
practicability of the idea. Accordingly, we are now in 
the process of developing an information base which will 
be sufficient by 1980 to support a decision on whether or 
not to proceed with the next phase of the program. 
The current program plan which was approved by the 
Administration in February of this year is, with the 
exception of microwave effects, entirely analytical. We 
must, therefore, realize that this effort is very unlikely 
to achieve a firm recommendation to implement the concept. 
Rather, if no insurmountable barriers are found, recom- 
mendations directed to laboratory experimentation and field 
and space testing are likely to result. 
The program is now organized as shown on Figure 1. 
DOE has overall program coordination responsibility which 
is assigned to an SPS project office under the Director 
of Energy Research. NASA is responsible for the definition 
of the overall systems concept and all technology which is 
involved. The Office of Energy Programs, NASA Headquarters, 
manages the effort and is supported by Marshall Space Flight 
Center and Johnson Space Center. The remainder of the 
program is managed by the DOE with the SPS project office 
and the Assistant Secretary for Environment sharing program- 
matic responsibility. Participating DOE laboratories include 
Battelle Pacific Northwest, Los Alamos Scientific Labora- 
tories and the Argonne National Laboratory. 
The SPS Working Group assists the DOE coordinator and 
is composed of senior project personnel from both Agencies. 
The objective is to insure that the results of work performed 
by the various participating organizations are integrated 
to achieve scheduled program milestones. 
10 7 
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19790001957 2020-03-22T02:27:16+00:00Z
The major milestones are shown by Figure 2 and relevant 
activities for each fiscal year are listed in Figure 3 .  It 
should be noted that, along with the baseline concept 
selection milestone in Oct. 1978, initial recommendations 
for an experimental research plan will also be completed. 
We anticipate that the initial plan will be directed mainly 
to definition of experiments which should start in 1980 
and which address highly critical program issues. In 
addition, an outline of other experimental research projects 
which can begin in subsequent years and which will be 
needed to achieve full technology readiness for SPS will 
be prepared. 
Our System Definition Centers, JSC and MSFC, are now 
working to evolve a consolidated recommendation €or a 
baseline SPS concept. Preliminary recommendations based 
upon independent assessment by each Center of various 
candidate SPS concepts were presented in January of this 
year. As was expected there were some significant differ- 
ences as well as many areas of agreement. The differences 
are now in process of resolution by way of a MSFC/JSC 
working group. The essential elements of the initial recom- 
mendations made by the Center are shown by Figures 4 and 5. 
It is important to note that the baseline system 
approach is expected to continue to change with time as 
we become more knowledgable of the specific problems to 
be resolved and as our technological capability evolves. 
However, it is important to establish and maintain a base- 
line to guide the combined efforts o f  the DOE and NASA as 
the program progresses. 
Program funding by Agency management responsibility 
is shown by Figure 6. It is anticipated that if no abso- 
lute barriers to the concept are identified by 1980, that 
additional funding for further field test work could be 
made available by the Administration. 
The technological challenge presented by the SPS 
is well recognized by all who are familiar with the size 
and complexity of the system. However, the overall system 
problem is only partially technical - in fact, the most 
difficult issues to resolve will probably lie in the 
environmental effects and international areas. Accordingly, 
it will be mandatory that NASA continue to work closely 
with the DOE as we join forces to assess all aspects of 
the problem to gain the understanding which is so vitally 
needed to guide our future programmatic effort. 
108 
DOE 
NASA HO RG78 1874 111 
4 1078 
Figure 1. 
OFFICE OF 
ENERGY 
RESEARCH 
MAJOR PROGRAM MILESTONES 
F M A M I  
MILESTONE 
J A S O N 0  F M A M I I A S O N O  
v JULY 
F M A M  1 1  A S O N [  
PROGRAM START 
F M A M I  I A S O N I  
BASELINE CONCEPT61 
SELECTION 
PRELIMINARY PROGRAM 
RECOMMENOATIONS 
UPDATED PROGRAM 
RECOMMENDATIONS 
FINAL PROGRAM 
RECOMMENDATIONS 
Figure 2. 
VOCT 
V MAY 
109 
ACTIVITY SCHEDULE FOR SPS PROGRAM 
1977 
1978 
I YEAR I NASA MANAGED I DOE MANAGED 1 
CONCEPTUAL SYSTEM (S) DEFNED r n L  S ~ U I E S  DEFiNED 
)IIIIAL METHOIIOLOGY DETERMNAlWN TECHNICAL REWREMENTS BENTS0 
SUBSYSTEM TRADMFFS COMPLETED 
BASEWE CONCEPT(S) RECOMMENDATDW 
PRELYNARY SYSTEMS NTESRATN 
BASELNE GONCEPTfS) SELECllDN 
MIA1 ENVRON. MPACT ASSESSMENTS 
NNWl METHOWLOGY DETWMNATW 
P R E W A R Y  ENV. MPACT ASSESSMENT 
1979 
1980 
EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH PLAN 
BASELME SYSTEMS NTESRA7MI 
PREWNARY PROGRAM RECOWMENDAlNJNS * 
FNAL SYSTEMS HIEGRATKIN 
TECH. STATUS ASSESSMENT 
UPDATED PROGRAM REGOMMENDAMNS * 
SNOY INTEGRATKIN 
TECHNOLOGY AOVANCEYENT PLAN 
I 
I * MAJOR MILESTONES ) 
BASELNE CM(GEPT(S) SELECTION * 
INTUIIIYI METHOWLOGY UPDATE 
BASEWE ENVRON. YPACT ASSESSMENT 
PRUMNARY PROGRAM REGOMMENOATIONS * 
FNAL ENVRON. YPACT ASSESSMENT 
FNAL COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT 
FNAL MEMOWLOGY 
UPDATED PROGRAM RECOMMENDAlRlNS * 
STUDY NTEGRAMN 
RNA1 PROGRAM RECDUMEWDAlNIMS * 
NASA Ha RG7B12m 111 
1-2+78 
Figure 3. 
SPS PRELIMINARY BASELINE COMPARISON 
POWER GENERATION CAPABILITV 
OVERALL DIMENSIONS (Kin) 
POWER CONVERSION-PHOTOVOLTAIC 
STRUCTURE MATERIAL 
MSFC 
5GW 
3 4 x 2 1  
GaAs (CR=2) 
(0.2 MILLS) 
ALUMINUM 
JSC 
10 GW 
5.3124 
SILICON (CR =1) 
(2. MILLS) 
GRAPHITE COMPOSITE 
CONSTRUCTION LOCATION GEO LEO 
TRANSPORTATION 
0 EARTH-TO-LEO -CARGO 
(PAY LOAD) 
-PERSONNEL 
( N O )  
0 LEO-TO-GEO .CARGO 
-PERSONNEL 
(NO) 
MICROWAVE POWER TRANSMISSION 
0 NO. OF ANTENNAS 
0 ANTENNA POINTING/CONTROL 
. 0 DC4F CONVERTER 
0 FREQUENCY (GHZ) 
0 RECTENNA DIMENSIONS (Km) 
0 RECTENNA POWER OENSITV (mw/cm’) 
CENTER 
EDGE 
HTO WINGED lort-STAGE VTO WINGED 2-STAGE 
(91,000 K g) (424,000 Kg) 
MODIFIED SHUTTLE MODIFIED SHUTTLE 
(75 )  (75) 
DEDICATED ELECT. OTY SELF.POWERE0118 SPS 
2.STAGE LOX/LH? 2-STAGE LOX/LH, 
(75 )  (75) 
MODULES 
1 
MOTOR DRIVE 
KLYSTRON 
2.45 
10x13 
23 
1 
2 
CMGs 
KLYSTRON 
245 
9 .4~13  
23 
1 
Figure 4. 
110 
MASS STATEMENT (lo6 KG) 5 GW 10 GW 
COLLECTOR ARRAY (DRY) 
ANTENNA SYSTEM 
TOTAL SPS DRY WEIGHT 
TOTAL SPS DRY WEIGHT WITH 30% GROWTH 
COST (lo9 1977 $'s) 
COST TO PLACE FIRST SPS (INCLUDES DDT 8 E) 
AVERAGE UNIT  SYSTEM COST 
13.9 51.8 
14.2 25.2 
28.1 17.0 
36.5 100.1 
- ~ 
66 
14 
87 
23 
Figure 5. 
SATELLITE POWER SYSTEM 
PROGRAM DEFINITION PLAN 
(FUNDING BY AGENCY MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITY) 
W E  -
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS 
COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT 
SOCKI-ECONOMn: ASSESSMENT 
TOTAL DOE 
- 
1,800 
TOTAL NASA 2,500 
NASA 
SYSTEMS DERNlllON 
SPACE RELATED TECHNOLOGY 
TOTAL WE/NASA I 2,979 
FY 78 
1,940 
376 
537 
2,853 
1,700 
0 -  
1,700 
4,553 
- 
- 
FY 79 - 
2,050 
754 
537 
3,341 
1,300 
0 
1,300 
4,641 - 
I 
FY 80 -
1,740 
565 
322 
2,627 - 
800 
0 
800 
-
3,427 - 
NASI 
TOTAL - 
5,950 
1,790 
1,560 
9,300 
5,600 
700 
6,300 
15,600 - 
-2478 
Figure 6. 
111 


Satellite power systems program

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