Space/Science — HabitableZone

Space/Science » in reply to ARMXER Orbital Skyhook Update --- Synchronous Solar Power

Fortuitous Results

Looks like my previous design for an ARMXER had it's central Hub orbiting at 2000 km. This is within the range 1400-3300 km altitude needed for a sun-synchronous orbit. So the mutually synchronous Fresnel lens orbiting the sun would indeed be an excellent power source for the ARMXER. It would generate enough power for about a dozen momentum exchange tethers operating simultaneously.

The downside is that it doesn't *really* seem like a good power supply for Earth infrastructure, in spite of what my essay states. It is difficult to couple the orbiting powerplant with earth-bound powerplants while the earth's surface is zooming by so quickly. Geosynchronous would be ideal, but occasional shadowing would have to be tolerated.

Fortuitous results even so!

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