The USSR and space power plants

The American idea of a Solar Power Satellite was proposed for the first time in 1968 by Peter Glaser in a famous article in Science. This concept has since been the subject of many theoretical studies, and of some limited practical studies (mainly about microwave energy transmission) in the USA with funding from NASA and the Department of Energy (DOE). Some evaluations have been also conducted in Western Europe, particularly within the European Space Agency (ESA). But very little is generally known about the attitude towards SPS of the second main space power: the USSR. Soviet literature on SPS is much less abundant, but it does exist. Very interesting articles on the subject have been written by leading Soviet space experts. Some of these articles are analysed here, and the practical meanings of the exressed opinions, generally very favourable, are investigated in view of the growing Soviet space capability.