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Nuclear power is sometimes proposed for colonies located on the Moon or on Mars, as the supply of solar energy is too discontinuous in these locations; the Moon has nights of two Earth weeks in duration. Mars has nights, relatively high gravity, and an atmosphere featuring large dust storms to cover and degrade solar panels. Also, Mars' greater distance from the Sun (1.5 astronomical units, AU) translates into E/(1.52 = 2.25) only ½-⅔ the solar energy of Earth orbit.[54] Another method would be transmitting energy wirelessly to the lunar or Martian colonies from solar power satellites (SPSs) as described above; the difficulties of generating power in these locations make the relative advantages of SPSs much greater there than for power beamed to locations on Earth.
Add: - future colonies on the moon will have both nuclear and solar power in order to create suffecient energy.
-especiall for a moon base/fuel station -fuel stations might also be on asteroids
A major export of the initial space settlement designs was anticipated to be large solar power satellites that would use wireless power transmission (phase-locked microwave beams or lasers emitting wavelengths that special solar cells convert with high efficiency) to send power to locations on Earth, or to colonies on the Moon or other locations in space. For locations on Earth, this method of getting power is extremely benign, with zero emissions and far less ground area required per watt than for conventional solar panels. Once these satellites are primarily built from lunar or asteroid-derived materials, the price of SPS electricity could be lower than energy from fossil fuel or nuclear energy; replacing these would have significant benefits such as the elimination of greenhouse gases and nuclear waste from electricity generation.
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-Dr.David Criswell came up with the concept first when working for NASA on Apollo missions. -Used microwaves with wavelengths of 12cm for beams -Also talk about safety -Won't hurt metal aircraft flying. -Beams will be pointed at industrial areas to keep away from humans and animals(birds). -scientist were able to send 20 Watts of power from one island to another in Hawaii -Energy transmitted wirelessly is a new concept but many companies such as JAXA and Mitsubishi are working on ideas like these. -JAXA/Mitsubishi spending 21 Billion on solar energy geostationary satellites. -