India, US science body launch space solar power initiative

Washington: India and a top US science body have forged an international organisation to develop space solar power, an initiative that has the potential of solving humanity`s energy needs and greatly mitigating climate change.

"Time has arrived for us to together attempt to give a direction and momentum to this movement to realise space solar power and its enabling technologies through international collaboration that can help rebuild our environmentally vulnerable planet," Abdul Kalam, eminent Indian scientist and ex-President, and Mark Hopkins, executive committee chairman of the National Space Society, said in a joint statement yesterday. They announced to have a clear plan of action to market the idea of a livable planet Earth through space solar power to G8 or G20 nations within a year. "We shall start our team building and mission structuring phase with core members from nations who we know are already networking and who are contributing to the dream of harvesting energy from space, including the US, India, Japan, and UK," the joint statement said. The statement followed a presentation made by Kalam in which he unveiled his global space solar plan. "Such a shared vision shall include specific mechanisms such as the Global Space Knowledge Platform, the International Virtual Laboratory, and the International Advisory Committee that Dr. Kalam has elaborated through discussion papers with Mr. Hopkins and his Address to the 2013 National Space Society`s International Space Development Conference (ISDC 2013). "We hope our international collaborative mission will act as a catalyst for a livable planet which will promote prosperity and peaceful relations within and between nations", the statement said. Kalam, also known as the `Missile Man of India` for his work on the development of ballistic missile and launch vehicle technology, has in the past pitched for exploiting the tremendous energy available from the Sun. PTI