Space solar power, or SSP, has been a core interest since the advent of the NSS and its predecessor organizations. In the early 1970s, Dr. Peter Glaser invented the concept of collecting energy from space and beaming it where and when it is needed. Since then, a wide range of studies have been and continue to be conducted by NASA, DOE, DoD, commercial concerns, international space agencies and academies, universities, and not-for-profit organizations.
As the technology required to design and deploy viable SSP systems, including wireless power beaming and ancillary services, has matured, the cost of space launch has radically reduced, and the advent of highly modular system architectures has generated greater interest in realizing the promise of SSP. SSP wireless power and ancillary services beaming systems can serve multiple venues, including Space-to-Space, Surface-to-Surface, Space-to-lunar/asteroidal services, and Space-to-Earth. SSP systems can scale from serving niche market on-demand customers to baseload power generation systems capable of meeting large portions of the United States’ growing electrical energy demand and the world’s.
Research and development efforts are ongoing by various national and international agencies (including Japan, China, the United Kingdom, the European Union, the European Space Agency, the Korean Space Agency, and the United States (NASA, DoD, DOE)), commercial concerns, universities, and non-profit organizations.
With our planet suffering from dangerous levels of climate change linked to the consumption of fossil fuels and the abundant energy of the sun arriving at our doorstep largely unutilized 24 hours a day, the time for space solar power has arrived. What are some of the newest technologies, and who will master them? Join us at this world-class gathering to learn more.
This year marks a critical tipping point, as the Space Solar Power, wireless power transmission, and integrated ancillary services transfer research community must begin translating ongoing technology development work into demonstrable services that serve customers.
The perspectives you contribute to the symposium can critically impact achieving a clearer shared understanding within the community of what is necessary to advance these technologies into practical, field-ready systems.
Space Solar Power Symposium
Session Co-Chair Info
John Mankins
President, Mankins Space Technology
John C. Mankins, President of Mankins Space Technology, is an internationally recognized leader in space systems and technology innovation and a highly effective manager of large-scale technology R&D programs. He holds a B.S. from Harvey Mudd College, an M.S. in physics from UCLA, and an MBA from the Drucker School at Claremont Graduate University. In his tenure at NASA, Mankins managed the Office of Advanced Concepts and Technology, leading pioneering Read More
Gary Barnhard
CEO, Xtraordinary Innovative Space Partnerships, Inc
Gary Pearce Barnhard is the President and CEO of Xtraordinary Innovative Space Partnerships, Inc. (XISP-Inc), a company focused on Cislunar mission development. He is a computer, robotics, power, and space systems engineer by profession; an architect by avocation; and a scientist by worldview, necessity, and spiritual practice. He is an Associate Fellow of the AIAA, the Vice President of the Moon Village Association (MVA), and the President of the Space Read More
