SSPS activities in Japan

Summary form only given. The studies on space solar power systems (SSPS), which were carried out in the 1970s at DOE/NASA, have been conducted in Japan as well. The fundamental investigation and the economic study were conducted as the contract with Science and Technology Agency (STA) and National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) in the early 1980s. In the second half of the 1980s, "the study on space energy technology" was conducted as the contract with Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI). In the 1990s, one of the largest committees in the past was organized under contract with The New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), and 3 years study named "the study on space solar power systems" had been conducted from JFY1991 to JFY1993. This study had examined the feasibility as the future commercial power source of SSPS. NASDA (On October 1 2003, ISAS, NAL and NASDA were merged into one independent administrative institution. the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency: JAXA) has started studies on SSPS and high efficiency hydrogen-methanol generating system since JFY1998, organizing special committees and working groups. In addition to technical studies, economic and social studies have been conducted. In order to acquire the fundamental data for public acceptance of SSPS, the awareness survey of SSPS was carried out to general adults in the last year The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI, MITI was reorganized to METI in 2001) has funded Institute for Unmanned Space Experiment Free Flyer (USEF) for SSPS study since JFY2001. USEF also organized a committee and some working groups and was mainly doing research on microwave power transmission. This paper shows the overview of these SSPS studies and the recent study activities.