Gregory Falco

Space-based Solar Power Station

  1. Space Vehicle, Communication Signal, Space Vehicle
  2. Article Summary
    1. A novel design project for space solar power station (SSPS-OMEGA), Science Direct, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0094576515300680
    2. Paper proposes a new type of space solar power station based on a spherical solar power collector, a hyperboloid photovoltaic array, power management, and a microwave transmitting antenna
    3. The authors suggest using thin, semi-reflecting, and semi-transparent film to create thousands of reflector modules that could be individually adjusted.
    4. These reflector modules would direct sunlight to the hyperboloid photovoltaic array which would transmit the current to the microwave antenna through electric cables and conductive joints.
    5. Finally, there is a transmitting antenna and a ground antenna that would relay the generated power back to Earth using microwaves.
  3. Cyber-security implications
    1. Nation States – Have the power to decide where to deliver power which could change geopolitical realities. Could selectively help other nations or groups succeed against opponents. Have the ability to also attack ground stations, or communication signals to hijack the space power vehicle to stop or destroy the generation of power.
    2. Ideological Actors – May attack the space power communication signals to change the location of power delivery to one that matches their ideological beliefs.
    3. Terror Groups – Like Ideological actors they may attack the space power communication signal to either stop, destroy, or redirect the power from the space power vehicle.
    4. Cybercrime Groups – These groups may attack the ground station or communication signal to ransom the space power generation.
  4. Impact
    1. Cybersecurity concerns would likely primarily impact the critical systems and networks of the space power vehicle. This is because space power vehicles are high investment systems that are quite finely tuned, which means any alteration of the vehicle could have large repercussions. Likewise, some proposals for solar power vehicles involve multiple satellites, in which case the network connecting these solar power satellites could be quite valuable to threat actors.

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