From Matthew Tucker
There is another serious problem facing space-based solar power. Large installations would be vulnerable to attack. Any country thinking of relying on them would need to find a way to protect themselves from sudden and catastrophic loss caused by malicious attack, or by orbiting space junk.
Baulkham Hills, New South Wales, Australia
The editor writes:
• There is a lot of room in geosynchronous (as distinct from geostationary) orbit, making debris likely to be less of a problem than in near-Earth orbit. It is still unclear whether attacks are feasible: if they are, countries can also shoot down GPS and communications satellites.
