Solar Power Satellites (SPS) will be the largest man-made structures we put into orbit. A SPS providing 2 GW of power will have overall dimensions measured in kilometres and mass in kilo Tonnes. The current ideas to deal with satellites at the end of their life include earth re-entry, transport to graveyard orbits and trajectories to other locations such as the moon. In essence, these are disposal strategies where the satellites are moved out of their functional orbits to make way for new satellites and minimise the impact of any resulting space debris. The architecture and size of SPS lend themselves to novel and alternative considerations for end of life disposal. The leading designs of SPS are assembled from a very large number (millions) of a handful (less than 10) of different modules. The scale of the satellites means that they will have to be assembled in orbit, most likely using robot assembly. It is likely therefore that the reverse process could be used to reduce the satellites to their constituent modules. There may be the potential for these modules to be repurposed or their constituent materials to be re-used for new applications. For example, the modules may have a residual functionality that could be valuable for alternative applications or the modules could be “mined” as a source of valuable elements for in-orbit manufacture of new assets. For these routes to be effective, the end of life strategies for the SPS need to be embedded into their design, construction and maintenance. This study will investigate the degradation mechanisms that will lead to the SPS reaching the end of its useful life, and determine the likely states of the constituent modules. Using this information we will categorise potential further use for the modules and the possibility to reprocess the constituent materials. We will outline the disassembly methods that could be employed and the infrastructure that would be needed to support the reprocessing activities.
