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IPFS News Link • Communications

Caltech Space Based Solar Power Cubesat Demo Flying December 2021

• https://www.nextbigfuture.com, by Brian Wang

Attendees of his talk are the leaders in the Space Based Solar Power community.

· Dr. Paul Jaffe (UMD)
· John Bucknell (Virtus Solis)
· Dr. Al Globus (UC San Jose)
· Skylar Hoffert (student)
· Dr. John Mankins (ex-NASA SSP head)
· Dr. Naoki Shinohara (Kyoto University)
· Dr. Xinbin Huo (China Academy of Space Technology)
· Dr. John Olds (Spaceworks)
· Charles Hall (Spaceworks)
· Jeff Madonna
· Rian Moriarty
· Michael Sanders (USNA)
· Haroon Oqab (Kepler Space Institute)
· Darel Preble (Space Solar Power Institute)
· Takayuki MATS
· Keith Henson

John Bucknell summarized Rich Madonna talk. Rich described progress since 2019.

Maintaining 'membrane' deploying concept – prior concept with deployable parabolic concentrators and antenna too expensive to manufacture

Switch to thin-film GaAs PV (Alta Devices/MicroLink)

Transparent conductor, PV, Ground Plane, RF/Power electronics and antenna layers about 1000microns thick

Improved deployment with a pneumatic inflator of membrane

Update power beaming from 2.45GHz to 10GHz

CMOS IC power amplifier, phase shifter, 16 antennas (3x3mm) now in 8th generation

Built and testing printed flexible 256 antenna transmitter

SW compensation for shape of the antenna, based upon exciting one antenna and rest receiving to triangulate the position


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