Powow revisited - Beamed power for Mars exploration

Abstract

The POWOW concept is a solar-electric propelled spacecraft capable of significant cargo and short trip times for traveling to Mars. At Mars it would enter areosynchronous orbit (Mars GEO equivalent) and beam power to surface installations via lasers. In 1997, the POWOW design was based on hexagonal modules as a modular building block. By 2000, the baseline spacecraft design using conventional rectangular modules providing 898 kW was proposed. This embodiment used technologies expected to be available in the 2003 time frame. Areal power densities approaching 350 W/m2 at 80°C operating temperatures and wing level specific powers of over 350 W/kg were projected. This concept has been reexamined in light of the advances actually made in 2003 in solar arrays, electric propulsion and laser power beaming. Trip times, spacecraft masses and cost estimates are presented.