Solar powered satellite laser beams!

Leave it to the nihonjin.

I read about this in the latest Scientific American, but I couldn't link the article here. Here is an article from a different source relating some of the details - and another.

Apparently this was discussed by Americans in the 1980s, but currently NASA has no plans.

The Japanese in the trial stages of testing the basic machinery of the power transfer, but they plan to launch a satellite into geosynchronous orbit (over the ocean) that will collect energy from the sun. Being above the atmosphere, it will be much more efficient than earth-bound solar panels. Then to transmit the energy, they will beam (!!!) it down (via LASER or microwave) to a station on the ocean. According to the Sci Am article, the beam would be about 5 times the power from the sun @ noon and that a human should be able to walk through it unharmed. But, the party pooping Japanese are of course going to cordon off the area. It should produce the equivalent power of a nuclear plant.

Go Mobile Suit Gundam!