SPACE STATION--THE STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SPS IN CHINA

摘要

As one of the most prospective space macro system，Solar Power Satellite(SPS), also named Space BasedSolar Power(SBSP), is obtaining more attention in the world. In 2011, The International Academy ofAstronautics (IAA) published a report--Space Solar Power: The First International Assessment of SpaceSolar Power: Opportunities, Issues and Potential Pathways Forward. An important international roadmap forSpace Solar Power was presented in this paper. As a huge complicated satellite system, many key technologies,including large in-space structure, space assembly, space robot, solar power generation, power managementand distribution, wireless power transmission, thermal management, and so on, need to be broken though inthe future. The technology flight demonstrations in different lever, including component lever, subsystem leverand system level, need to be carried on in space. LEO is the most important orbit to demonstrate thosetechnologies. Space station, as an important space infrastructure, is fitted for these demonstrations very well.Shenzhou8 spacecraft successfully completed the rendezvous and docking test with Tiangong-1 space moduleon November 3, 2011. The success marks that China's Manned Space Engineering has achieved an importantmilestone and set a sound foundation for the later development of space station. China's manned space stationproject has been officially initiated on October 27, 2010. The construction of a state-level large scale long-termspace laboratory with involvement of human will be established around 2020. The space station will consist ofseveral experiment modules and will be an important strategic opportunity for the technologies development ofSPS in China. In this paper, the rough roadmap and technology character of Space station will be presented.By analyzing the key technologies of SPS, some possible technology demonstration projects utilizing spacestation will be suggested.