User:RundownPear/sandbox

Overview
The Solar Power System (SPS) fleet would have been a constellation of 60 supermassive energy producing solar satellites. The SPS unit would have measured roughly 10.5 kilometers long, 5.2 kilometers wide, and weighed over 50,000 tons each. Each satellite would have utilized microwave power transmitters to beam solar energy from orbit to ground based receiving station providing 5 gigawatts of energy per unit. 60 satellites would have been built over a 30 year period (2000-2030) and provided a total of 300 gigawatts of energy to the US energy pool. Due to the scale of the individual SPS satellites, the program would have also included a large space infrastructure including other satellites, space tugs, super heavy launch vehicles, and a large maintenance crew in space. It was estimated that the program would have required at least 1,000 people in orbit at a time. The SPS study came as a result of the 1970s energy crisis. The SPS studies was originally a collaboration between the Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) and NASA until ERDA was merged with the newly formed Department of Energy (DOE). Following this the DOE became the lead organization of the SPS studies.

Microwave Power Transmission System
The Microwave Power Transmission System (MPTS) was a studied means of wirelessly transmitting power from space to Earth. The system involves using a satellite in space to collect solar energy and convert it into microwaves, which are then transmitted to a receiving station on the ground. The receiving station then converts the microwaves back into usable electricity. MPTS would have the potential to provide a continuous source of clean energy, without the limitations of traditional power sources such as fossil fuels or the intermittency of solar and wind power. The studies aimed to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and effectiveness of MPTS as a viable energy source for Earth.