There is an increasingly intense need to harness solar energy due to an
ever growing shortage of conventional energy sources, The instant
invention is concerned with method and apparatus for solar concentrator
micro-mirrors on solar power satellites and the moon to focus and reflect
large quantities of solar energy. Method and apparatus are taught for
directly reflecting solar energy to the Earth; reflecting solar energy to
a microwave converter in space which transmits microwave energy to the
Earth; and reflecting solar energy to a laser radiation converter which
beams laser radiation to the Earth. The concentrated energy received at
the Earth may be converted directly to electricity or indirectly by
thermo-mechanical means. The advantages and disadvantages of the
different means of sending such concentrated energy to the Earth are
discussed. A particularly important objective of this invention is the
focussing of sunlight for solar power conversion and production. The
instant invention can contribute to the goal of achieving environmentally
clean solar energy on a large enough scale to be competitive with
conventional energy sources.