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Whatmeworry4 t1_ixs90jy wrote

This concept has been around a long time; has there been a proof of concept satellite put in space yet?

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Finnder_ t1_ixt2tkp wrote

No. That's what this is though isn't it? Countries are actually trying it to see if it can work?

Like this is one of those things people have speculated about but never really tried. I remember it as a concept as far back as like Sim City 2000 (released in 1993) beaming microwaves down to earth from orbiting solar stations.

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lienmarine86 t1_ixu349f wrote

Sim City 2000 predicting the future. Next step is Fusion and Arcologies!

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Khar-Toba t1_ixufznf wrote

Arcologies are possible right now!! Instead here in the UK have sprawling cities with filled with red brick box houses and gray roads that match our gray skies!

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skarn86 t1_ixvpndo wrote

1993?? Check out "reason" by Isaac Asimov. It's a short story, written in the early 50s, set inside an orbital solar farm.

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Finnder_ t1_iyaph21 wrote

Yeah I assumed it was a lot older. Like Musk and his vac trains, which are 138 years old at this point. The difference is Elon claimed he invented those and was like "I am smart!" for coming up with an old idea.

I was just saying for me, personally for me, I have heard about this concept as far back as 1993 (two decades ago). Is it older? Maybe? Possibly! Who cares?! I really hope it does work! Unlike that, "I invented, credit me," Elon asshole. Talk about a South African am I right?

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skarn86 t1_iyc4umo wrote

I'm pretty sure it's not even due to Asimov.

He pretty much just uses it as a setting, so in the sci-fi world it must have been at least somewhat familiar.

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WetnessPensive t1_ixzkwz5 wrote

If anyone's interested, Kim Stanley Robinson's wonderful utopian "slice of life" novel, "Pacific Edge", sees California "drinking" solar energy beamed down from a grid of satellites. It was written in the late 1980s I believe.

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