Space Solar Power Initiative Established by NGC at Caltech with $17.5M Grant

The Race For Space Solar Power Heats Up

Northrop Grumman’s Joseph Ensor (left) and
Caltech’s Ares Rosakis (right) at the recent SSPI commemoration
event held at the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California.

Space Solar Power Initiative Established by NGC and Caltech
Space Solar Power Initiative Established by Northrop Grumman and Caltech -- PASADENA, Calif., April 20, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has signed a sponsored research agreement with the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) for the development of the Space Solar Power Initiative (SSPI). Under the terms of the agreement, Northrop Grumman will provide up to $17.5 million to the initiative over three years.
Working together, the team will develop the scientific and technological innovations necessary to enable a space-based solar power system capable of generating electric power at cost parity with grid-connected fossil fuel power plants. SSPI responds to the engineering challenge of providing a cost-competitive source of sustainable energy. SSPI will develop technologies in three areas:

• high-efficiency ultralight photovoltaics; 
• ultralight deployable space structures; and 
• phased array and power transmission.

SSPI was conceived by three principal investigators from Caltech's Division of Engineering and Applied Science (EAS) who jointly lead the initiative:

• Harry A. Atwater, Jr., Howard Hughes Professor of Applied Physics and Materials Science, Director of the Resnick Sustainability Institute;
• Ali Hajimiri, Thomas G. Myers Professor of Electrical Engineering and Medical Engineering; and
• Sergio Pellegrino, Joyce and Kent Kresa Professor of Aeronautics, Professor of Civil Engineering and Jet Propulsion Laboratory Senior Research Scientist.

Related/Background

•  Caltech Receives Northrop Grumman $17.5M Grant - Atwater Research Group
• Are SunSats the next generation ComSats? Don M. Flournoy-ISDC2011.pdf; Online Journal of Space Communication
• Space-based solar power: the energy of the future? - CNN.com
• Space Solar Power
•  

REFERENCES

Selected papers on Space Solar Power has many of these papers

1. Damphousse, Lt. Col. Paul E." Space Solar Power: Energy for the Future," Ad Astra, Winter 2008, pp.48-49.
2. "Energy: Let the Sun Shine in." Economist Technology Quarterly, December 6, 2008, pp.16-18.
3. Flournoy, Don M. "Consats and Sunsats: A Marriage made in Heaven," International Academy of Astronautics, IAA Study Group 3.11: Solar Energy From Space, Toronto, Canada, September 2009, pp.8.
4. Flournoy, Don M. "Our Next Generation of Satellites will Deliver Sun's Energy to Earth," International Conference on Space Information Technology, Beijing, China, November 26-27, 2009 (published by SPIE, Vol. 5985), pp.206-208.
5. Gibbons, John H. "Solar Power Satellites: Current Status, Office of Technology Assessment," Requested by the House Committee on Science and Technology), NTIS order No: PB82-108846, August 1981, pp.1-139. Can also be viewed at http://www.nss.org/.
6. Hedman, Eric R. "If We Build it, Will They Come?" The Space Review, February 4, 2008, pp.1-6. Can be viewed at http://www.thespacereview.com/.
7. Preble, Darel. "How to Build a Space Solar Power System: The Sunsat Incorporation Act," Space Solar Power Workshop, http://www.sspi.gatech.edu/, Jan. 23, 2008, p. 38.
8. Kusiolek, Richard. "Space-based Solar Power Comes to Light," Via Satellite, March 2009, pp. 49-54.
9. McLinko, Ryan M. and Basant V. Sagar. "Space-Based Solar Power Generation Using a Distributed Network of Satellites and Methods for Efficient Space Power Transmission." An MIT student paper prepared for the ICISIT09 Conference held in Beijing, China, Nov. 2009, p. 8.
10. Laborador, Virgil S. The Satellite Technology Guide For the 21st Century. Los Angeles CA: Synthesis Publications, 2008, p. 200.
11. Nansen, Ralph. Sun Power: The Global Solution for the Coming Energy Crisis, 1995, an online book that can be viewed at http://www.nss.org/.
12. Nansen, Ralph. Energy Crisis: Solution from Space, Ontario, Canada: Apogee Books, p. 203.
13. Potter, Seth D. "Low Mass Solar Power Satellites Built from Terrestrial or Lunar Materials," The Boeing Company, Seal Beach CA, January 1994, pp.1-5. Can also be viewed at http://www.spacefuture.com/.
14. Rosen, Stan, "How Space Can Improve Life on Earth," Ad Astra, Spring 2009, pp. 28-30.
15. Rouge, Joseph D. "Space-Based Solar Power as an Opportunity for Strategic Security: Phase O Architecture Feasibility Study," Report to the Director, National Security Space Office, October 10, 2007, pp. 1-39.
16. Sato, Shigeru and Yuji Okada, "Musubishi, IHI to Join $21 Bln Space Solar Project," Sept 1, 2009, www.bloomberg.com.
17. Smith, O. Glenn, "Harvest the Sun - From Space," New York Times, Op Ed, July 23, 2008, p. 1.
18. Snead, James M. (Mike), "The Vital Need for America to Develop Space Solar Power," Spacefaring Institute LLC, May 12, 2009, p. 4. (info@spacefaringinstitute.com) 
19. Xin, Sun, et al. "Financial and Organizational Analysis for a Space Solar Power System: A Business Plan to Make Space Solar Power a Reality." A Multicultural Team Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment for the Degree of Master of Business Administration in Aerospace Management, Toulouse Business School, Toulouse, France, May 18, 2009.