Interview with Eric Kotani
By: Mark McCormick
The sci-fi adventure novel The Legacy of Prometheus by Eric Kotani  and John
Maddox Roberts told of global energy woes and a quest to launch a Solar
Power Satellite (SPS) that collects energy from the sun and beams it back to
earth using microwaves. That notion, once only science fiction, may soon
become a reality. The U.S. Department of Defense is strongly concerned about
the national security implications of dependence on foreign oil in the face of
market competition from China and other developing nations. Solar Power
Satellites are seen as a possible solution and one that doesn’t generate other
problems, such as toxic waste or green house gases. Air Force Lt. Col. Michael
“Coyote” Smith of the National Security Space Office is advocating a small
demonstration SPS to demonstrate beaming power from a geostationary orbit
within the next eight to ten years.

Eric Kotani has authored and co-authored many science fiction novels
including The Legacy of Prometheus (with John Maddox Roberts) and Star Trek
Voyager17, Death of a Neutron Star. He edited Requiem: New Collected Works by
Robert A. Heinlein and Tributes to the Grand Master. For many years, he was
also a judge for the Writers of the Future contest.

Unlike many fiction writers, Mr. Kotani is eminently qualified to write about
advanced scientific concepts. Eric Kotani is the pen name of NASA
Astrophysicist Yoji Kondo, Ph.D. He was head of the astrophysics laboratory at
NASA Johnson Space center during the Apollo and Skylab Missions, and was the
director of a geosynchronous satellite observatory for 15 years. He is a
recipient of NASA Medal for Exceptional Scientific Achievement and also of the
Isaac Asimov Memorial Award for significant contribution to the public
understanding of science through writing. An asteroid (8072) was named for
Dr. Kondo in recognition of his contributions to astronomy and the space
program. Orion’s Child is especially pleased to interview Dr. Kondo about
Solar Power Satellites and science fiction made real.

Orion’s Child: How did you move from the realm of science to the realm of
science fiction?

Dr. Kondo (hereafter E.K.): Robert Heinlein invited me to his party in
Annapolis, where I met Jim Baen. After the very enjoyable party, Jim took us to a
bar in Georgetown, where Jim was staying. Jim invited me to write for him; I
did not give a clear answer at the time. Heinlein phoned me a few days later.
Apparently, Jim had phoned Heinlein to tell him something to the effect that I
was writing for him. Heinlein told me he was happy to hear that I was writing
for Jim since we two had met at his party. I could not very well disappoint
Heinlein, so I got in touch with Jim and told him my answer was "Yes". When
Heinlein's agent, Eleanor Wood, forwarded to me the contract, it was for FOUR
(!) novels. My goodness! In any case, Eleanor became my literary agent without
signing any contract.

OC: In your book Legacy of Prometheus you wrote about the notion of using
geosynchronous solar satellites to beam energy down to earth via microwaves.
Are such power satellites a technological fiction or do we currently have the
technology for them?

E.K.: Some of the technologies are yet to be proven in real life but  the concept
of solar power satellites does not involve any unknown and untested physical
principles. Japan had a plan for orbiting a small scale SPS — generating power
in the kilowatts in non-geo-synchronous orbit as a test bed — but I am not sure
where that project stands now.

OC: Why do we need a satellite? Why not build big solar panels on the ground?

E.K.  We should by all means build solar power panels but they would not be
suitable in large scale to harness energy for cities and industries. Ground-
based panels have to cope with day-night cycles, weather, etc. SPS in
geosynchronous orbits can provide electricity to its customers day and night,
except a brief eclipse season (by Earth’s shadow) once a year.  Other SPS can
provide electricity to the customers during the eclipse season for one SPS.

OC: How much power could we draw from such a satellite in a realistic
scenario?

E.K. An SPS with the effective sunlight collecting area of several square
kilometers can generate about a gigawatt of electricity, which is about what a
typical nuclear power station generates.  For comparison, the Three Gorges
Dam, the largest hydroelectric power station in the world, generates, when
fully working, a few tens of gigawatts.  It cost at least some 40-50 billion
dollars to build it (in the Beijin accounting system) without considering the
human cost of displacing the villages that had to be evacuated or relocated.

OC: What sort of infrastructure would be needed on the ground to receive the
transmitted power?

E.K. The rectenna, the receiving antenna, would be about ten kilometers by
several kilometers in size, and there would need to be a suitable power
transmission system for the power we receive through the rectenna. In
addition to wire transmission of the power, we might consider microwave
transmission from tower-tower.

OC: Would the power transmission be a danger to birds, airplanes, or the ozone
layer?

E.K. The power transmission would not present a danger to birds or animals on
the ground, or in flight, although I would not build a house right below the
rectenna. You could probably keep cattle under the rectennae. Power
transmission would NOT destroy the ozone layer and would not interfere with
communications.

OC: Won't power satellites be easy to shoot down, and thus be vulnerable from
a national security perspective?

E.K.  SPSs will be sitting ducks for enemy attacks.

OC: Would a geosynchronous solar satellite need to be over the equator?
Would that require that the rectenna be on or near the equator?

E.K. You have to distinguish between 'geosynchronous' and 'geostationary'. A
geostationary satellite must be over the equator.  We don't have a good launch
site for geostationary. In terms of launch, the closer you get to the equator
the more efficient it is energy-wise. Brazil has a good launch site along the
Amazon. Unfortunately, most equatorial countries are not politically stable. A
geosynchronous satellite need not be over the equator. It could be practical
for an SPS to have a geosynchronous orbit rather than a geostationary. But in
either case, the rectenna wouldn't need to be on the equator. That's what helps
make it cost effective. You can avoid the cost of transmission wires.

OC: How large, on what scale, would the solar power panels need to be to draw
a significant amount of power—are we talking on the scale of houses, city
blocks, or asteroid Yojikondo?

E.K. Several square kilometers — i.e., a few kilometers by several kilometers —
for generating one gigawatt.  It would probably make sense to assemble an SPS
in orbit, especially when we have completely reusable rockets for economic
access to low Earth orbit.

OC: Won’t something so large be vulnerable to impacts by micrometeorites or
space trash?

E.K. Practically all artificial satellites have solar panels to provide power
but none, to our knowledge, stopped functioning from collisions with
micrometeorites.

OC: Historically, what role has science fiction had in promoting real science?
Do you think science fiction should predict or promote science or is there
room for the just the good ol' story?

E.K. Science fiction stories, even somewhat poorly conceived ones, can inspire
the reader to dream.  Dreams are where many technological and scientific
advances come from. Space flights were dreams only a few generations ago — as
was the cell phone in the early Star Trek shows. Of course, unless the story is
fun to read, nobody will read it; so, it has got be entertaining to read.

And, as our interview proves, real science can be and is as fascinating as
fiction.  Orion’s Child is very grateful to Dr. Kondo for his time; and as always
we are committed to promoting the dreams that might one day become the
reality.
An OC Exclusive
EDITOR'S NOTE: The following contains many great links, gathered by author
Mark McCormick.  We recommend trying some of them!