对太阳能大规模的开发和利用将
促成人类发展的巨大飞跃
徐 枫
美国空间协会高级顾问,前美国航空航天局资深专家, 空间能源集团首席技术官、副总裁
本文主要从理论与历史的角度,探讨与研究了目前解决及应对人类所面临的许多与能源和资源稀缺方面的关键问题和挑战。其主要论点认为,人类最基本以及最好的解决诸多危机的有效方法就是开展对太阳能大规模的研究与利用。经过对其它能源选项的科学与风险评估,本文进一步得出结论,任何大规模的收集和利用太阳的能源(如利用空间太阳能)作为人类最基本的能源供应的途径,最终将促使并成为未来人类文明巨大的跨越。现在越来越多的证据表明,我们人类作为一个群体,面对和解决众多与能源相关的重大问题是我们最为紧迫的生存的挑战。
近年来,已经有广泛的辩论和媒体报道对替代能源、可持续发展和全球气候变化做出了一系列讨论,但是一直缺乏来自科学家和工程师的知识与观点的支撑,至少在主流媒体方面这些有充分科学依据和知识性的探讨一直匮乏。本文还详细阐明了人类科学技术能力的发展前景以及人类社会利用太阳能的意愿,对着重研究基于空间太阳能(SBSP)开发技术的问题,以及为什么我们必须着手推动人类的下一个巨大飞跃—即利用太阳是势在必行的。
Harnessing the SUN——Embarking
Humanity’s next Giant Leap
Dr. Feng Hsu
Sr. VP, Space Energy Sr. Advisory, NSS USA
This paper argues and advocates, from a theoretical and historical perspective, that the best and fundamental solution for humanity to resolve many of our critical challenges related to lack of energy and resources is to harnessing the power of the Sun. The paper further concludes that any large scale collection, and utilization of the energy of our Sun (such as harnessing the sun from space) as base-load energy supply, will ultimately become humanity's next giant leap-forward in human civilization.
It has become increasingly evident that facing and solving the multiple issues concerning energy is the single most pressing problem that we face as a species. In recent years, there has been extensive debate and media coverage about alternative energy, sustainable development and global climate change, but what has been missing is the knowledge and point of view of scientists and engineers, at least in the main stream media. This paper intends to elaborate on the prospects of mankind’s technological capability as well as societal will on harnessing the solar energy, especially on the issue of space based solar power (SBSP) development, and why it’s imperative that we must embarking on humanity’s next giant leap – harnessing the SUN.