The argument as I understand it—and to my surprise when I did some napkin math it checked out—is that the efficiency advantage of having your solar panels in space (no atmosphere/clouds, no nighttime) is huge and offsets literally all the other disadvantages, from launch costs to the need for fancy radiators.
The argument as I understand it—and to my surprise when I did some napkin math it checked out—is that the efficiency advantage of having your solar panels in space (no atmosphere/clouds, no nighttime) is huge and offsets literally all the other disadvantages, from launch costs to the need for fancy radiators.