Introduction to solar power

In the past the drawback to space-based power has been the cost of setting up the infrastructure. With cheaper commercially developed rockets, such as the SpaceX Falcon Heavy, which are now being developed as the US successors to the retired space shuttle fleet for delivering cargo to low-Eaith orbit, these rockets will be able to launch payloads much more cheaply. A reusable version of the Falcon rocket family is also under development, which could further reduce launch costs (Strickland, 2011). 

Earth-based solar power (EBSP) technology 

Earth-based solar power (EBSP) is abundantly available, but it is variable and intermittent it is less effective in overcast or cloudy conditions and cannot generate electricity at night. Its conversion tends to be material-intensive, leading to high investment costs these are decreasing as more experience is gained in this area (Wiser et al., 2009). 

EBSP requires a eonsiderable aereage of land for eollection and production of electricity, therefore this teehnology eompetes with agriculture and forestry consequently the availability of land is a limiting faetor in the development of EBSP energy. 

The space-based solar power (SBSP) method 

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