Paul Suckow's Page

I dream that all required heat, electric, magnetic and motive power be captured from solar radiation directly, above the atmosphere, where it is roughly three times more powerful than it is down here on the surface of Earth. This part of the dream, known as Space Solar Power System (SSPS) to NASA, dates back at least to the original "oil crisis" of 1973. My dream differs by concentrating sunlight's full strength via sun-orbiting constellations of heavy mirrors quite a bit nearer the Sun than our Earth orbit, cohering sunlight and beaming it toward Earth orbit (and other-ward).

To avoid overheating the Earth, with its unfortunate enhanced greenhouse atmosphere, the total power imported must be met by an equivalent space-shading of solar radiation. By combining unlimited solar power with solar shading capabilities, humankind may be able (gingerly and slightly) to modify climate conditions as needed for adjustment to unavoidable future global warming, while entirely stopping the further enhancement of atmospheric greenhouse gasses.