

DON BONGAARDS
My Monthly Blog
May 1st 2023
Although what I'm about to say is not included in my previous books, it may become the subject of my next book. I'm talking about space based solar/microwave energy transmission.
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Did you know that solar energy transmitted from space can be 8 to 10 times more effective than Earth based solar systems, and can operate 24 hours per day. The problem of course is the cost of getting payloads into space economically and maintaining a system that's more than 20 thousand miles above the Earth's surface.
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Before getting into the details of my proposal, it should be pointed out to those people unfamiliar with this idea, that microwave transmission to Earth is not dangerous people passing though them. Microwaves are just another wave form like radio waves and sunlight.
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Now here is my proposal. Let's make the system self deployable and include redundancy in the active motor system. Better yet let's retain the delivery vehicle/rocket with enough fuel to return back to Earth for repairs if necessary. Of course the self deploying feature would need to a reversal capability. Moreover, let's make the system expandable to larger capacity with additional rocket launches.
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Now regarding the payload economics. As you may or may not know Elon Musk's Space X company is developing returnable rocketry. Thus, diluting the rocket cost with frequent launches. Now here is where it gets really interesting. Because rocket's require an enormous amount of fuel, the fuel cost per launch is the dominant cost factor. So, to offset this cost, let's now use the electricity derived from the solar/microwave systems to convert water into liquefied hydrogen and oxygen using electrolysis and liquefaction. Better yet, let's substitute the hydrogen with with lower cost methane, and sell the hydrogen for a net profit.
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Are you getting what I'm saying so far? In spite of the initial cost to launch a number of solar/microwave systems, the cost will eventually be dominated by the solar/microwave apparatus cost. For example if we initially confine ourselves to a small 100 kilowatt system, we can generate about 72.000 kilowatt hours per month 24 hours per day. In contrast a typical installed rooftop solar system will generate about 1,300 to 1,500 kilowatt hours per month for a cost of about $35 thousand US dollars. On this basis alone I can afford about $1.8 million US dollars per launch.
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Now hang on to your hats, it gets even better. As an initial first step I'm recommending that we use a 4 stage 3d printed rocket -- a la Relativity Inc. -- to launch my proposed 100 kilowatt system. My calculations show that we will need about 90 thousand kilograms of rocket fuel per launch. At current pricing of about $5 per kilogram -- that's $450 thousand plus the rocket solar system cost. But wait -- remember what I said about using the solar/microwave electricity to generate the fuel? My estimate is that after about 8 to 10 launches we will generate enough slf made fuel to continue launching on a weekly basis.
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September 2021
Since I’m now 80 years old I’m becoming more and more interested in life after death. Where is heaven, and what will I do there for eternity? More importantly – why will I be doing it? Does the Bible give us the answers to these questions?
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Since many of the words of the Bible were written with hidden meanings, I’m particularly struck by the parables spoken by Jesus Christ. One parable in particular that got my attention was about the mustard seed since in my opinion it indirectly answers the questions I’m asking. When speaking about the Kingdom of Heaven Christ said:
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“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field: which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.” (Matthew 13:31–32 kjv)
In summary, here is my interpretation. The man sowing a mustard seed must be God. The mustard seed must be planet Earth, and the field must be the universe. Since the mustard seed is so tiny it must represent our insignificantly small (compared to the universe) planet Earth. When the mustard seed (Earth) is planted, it germinates (develops a human population and technologies) and then grows into a tree of significant size. As I see it, the branches of the mustard tree represent places where our immortal souls will go to inhabit the universe. The mustard seed “branches” are therefore places where “birds of the air” (immortal souls) will “lodge” (live) with or without God. How about these places being Kingdoms of Heaven and earthlike planets?
Stay tuned, and I’ll explain why this might be true, and what it might mean in more detail.