Interesting. I don't think a solar-powered vehicle could generate the power required to throw something like this into space, and certainly not into orbit. Just not enough heat generated for the size of the vehicle (a rocket engine generates a frightening amount of power for its size and weight).

However, there seems to be a market for high-altitude vehicles that can stay on station for long periods of time. I could see where a high-altitude balloon that used solar energy to power hot air thrusters for stationkeeping and maybe even to heat the envelope, might be a good concept.

I'm firing a copy of the website to Bevin, our resident wild-ideas wizard (inventor of the original Roton concept). Who knows what he might cook up out of it.