Space Power Beaming: Diffraction-Limited Rectenna Efficiency

A space-based solar power satellite only earns its keep if the microwave beam it radiates actually lands on the ground receiver. This simulator models the free-space physics of that link with a real 3D scene of a geostationary satellite beaming power down to a rectenna: adjust the transmit dish size, rectenna size, microwave frequency and orbital distance, and watch the Goubau coupling parameter τ, the capture efficiency η ≈ 1 − exp(−τ), the diffraction-limited ground-spot diameter and the delivered power update live from the governing aperture equations used in real power-beaming engineering studies.