Image: Lunar solar power

Description: The Lunar Solar Power (LSP) System’s fundamental unit is the power plot depicted in the lower right. A full system producing commercial quantities of power for use on Earth requires tens to hundreds of thousands of power plots. A power plot consists of: a microwave reflector - the upright screen; a field of solar cells - in front of the reflector; and a set of microwave transmitters - under the mound beyond the solar array. Apollo data and studies of building solar power satellites primarily from lunar materials support the concept that solar cells can be made on the Moon from lunar derived materials (NASA 1989). Manufacturing power units on the Moon, note the production machinery, from lunar materials decrease the amount of mass that must be transported to the Moon by at least a factor of 50 and potentially much more.
Usage Terms: Public domain