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From: cem@intelca.UUCP (Chuck McManis)
Newsgroups: net.followup
Subject: Re: Alternate Energy & Microwaves
Message-ID: <375@intelca.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 16-Aug-84 14:39:38 EDT
Article-I.D.: intelca.375
Posted: Thu Aug 16 14:39:38 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 19-Aug-84 02:03:04 EDT
References: <4196@utzoo.UUCP>, <369@utastro.UUCP> <4215@utzoo.UUCP>
Organization: Intel, Santa Clara, Ca.
Lines: 25

Why does a powersat have to reflect light back to earth at all?
If you designed them to concentrate solar energy, as I assume one
would, since metalized mylar is cheaper than solar cells, why
wouldn't you design them to focus light in a "hidden" area of the
sattelite(sp?) ie
              
   light --->   \/  <-+  light continues on ---> 
                \/  <-|  
   <-- uWaves    \    |
                 /    +-- Two solar panels
                ^
                |
          MicroWave Antenna
 
Light is reflected to the solar cells (shown on the right) 
that are not reflecting back to earth. The incoming 
microwaves would be invisible to us (not radio telescopes of course)
but certainly optical telescopes. Am I missing something here?
 
-- 
-- Chuck                                    - - - D I S C L A I M E R - - - 
{ihnp4,fortune}!Dual\                     All opinions expressed herein are my
        {proper,idi}-> !intelca!cem       own and not those of my employer, my
 {ucbvax,hao}!hplabs/                     friends, or my avocado plant. :-}
                             ARPAnet    : "hplabs!intelca!cem"@Berkeley