Class
Article
College
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Department
Political Science Department
Faculty Mentor
Jeannie Johnson
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Abstract
The harnessing of space solar power (SSP) has dynamic and disruptive potential in three connected threat categories: energy security (both from insecure sources and from depleting resources,) climate change, and the erosion of US space dominance and related reduction in international space security. GHG levels require a drastic shift from fossil fuels to renewables, yet current renewable systems (hydro, wind, solar,) are not capable of supporting the projected increases in energy needs going into the mid 21st century. SSP would provide a solution to the lack of stable energy sources that are proving disastrous in many parts of the world and offer a drastic paradigm shift that could offer constant energy for civilian, military, and space exploration applications. However, such a disruptive technology would carry with it serious repercussions if attempted without the required multilateral partnerships, updated material infrastructure, and international regulatory framework to support it. An extreme power imbalance in terms of access to space and control of the energy market on earth could ensue if the US fails to act quickly and direct substantial resources towards collaborative, multinational SSP research and development. As US hegemony is in decline, China as a rising power is actively working to expand its sphere of influence in the space economy, with ambitious goals to lead both in the burgeoning sphere of space-based resources and in the global race to mitigate climate change. The US must work cooperatively on a global scale for the implementation of SSP, seeking to create international systems that build resilience in the face of shifting power dynamics, maintain open-access to space, and build critical partnerships that will promote power sharing in order to guide the disruptive potential of SSP down a path for good. Presentation Time: Thursday, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
Location
Logan, UT
Start Date
4-12-2021 12:00 AM
Included in
Space Solar Power Mitigates Climate Change, Tests Global Energy Markets and Space Policies
Logan, UT
The harnessing of space solar power (SSP) has dynamic and disruptive potential in three connected threat categories: energy security (both from insecure sources and from depleting resources,) climate change, and the erosion of US space dominance and related reduction in international space security. GHG levels require a drastic shift from fossil fuels to renewables, yet current renewable systems (hydro, wind, solar,) are not capable of supporting the projected increases in energy needs going into the mid 21st century. SSP would provide a solution to the lack of stable energy sources that are proving disastrous in many parts of the world and offer a drastic paradigm shift that could offer constant energy for civilian, military, and space exploration applications. However, such a disruptive technology would carry with it serious repercussions if attempted without the required multilateral partnerships, updated material infrastructure, and international regulatory framework to support it. An extreme power imbalance in terms of access to space and control of the energy market on earth could ensue if the US fails to act quickly and direct substantial resources towards collaborative, multinational SSP research and development. As US hegemony is in decline, China as a rising power is actively working to expand its sphere of influence in the space economy, with ambitious goals to lead both in the burgeoning sphere of space-based resources and in the global race to mitigate climate change. The US must work cooperatively on a global scale for the implementation of SSP, seeking to create international systems that build resilience in the face of shifting power dynamics, maintain open-access to space, and build critical partnerships that will promote power sharing in order to guide the disruptive potential of SSP down a path for good. Presentation Time: Thursday, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.