FYI,

"Moon Dirt Considered for Power Supply"
CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2002/TECH/space/10/11/moon.power/index.html

: Could huge solar power stations be built on the moon? Engineers
: taking part in NASA research think so, using raw materials available
: in the lunar soil.

: The scientists, working together with NASA and industry researchers,
: are investigating whether moon-based power stations and huge solar
: energy arrays could provide electricity for lunar colonies,
: satellites and perhaps even Earth.

: The key to the power godsend would be manufacturing advanced solar
: equipment on the moon, avoiding the high cost of transporting them
: through space.

: "The raw materials needed to make solar cells are present in the
: moon's regolith," said University of Houston physicist Alex
: Freundlich, referring to the layer of loose rock on the surface of
: our cosmic neighbor.

: Freundlich and colleagues, who studied actual moon soil to make sure
: it possesses the necessary ingredients, have also used simulated
: lunar dirt to figure out how to produce solar cells on the moon.

: They think that a robotic rover could melt surface lunar material
: into a glass sheet, then place thin solar cells on the glass
: surface. An extensive panel of such arrays could generate
: electricity from incoming solar rays.

: "These solar cells would have lower efficiencies compared to devices
: currently used on Earth," Freundlich said this week. "But by using a
: large surface area, we could eventually generate enough electricity
: to supply a lunar base, support lunar manufacturing or colonies."

: David Criswell, another University of Houston physicist, thinks
: moon-based solar power could generate enough juice to beam back home
: for use in electrical grids.

: By the year 2050, a projected population of 10 billion might need
: roughly four times the amount used now, he said

: If a lunar power station or stations harnessed just 1 percent of the
: solar energy that strikes the moon, it could satisfy the planet's
: future appetite, according to Criswell.

: But considering that fossil fuel production releases major
: pollutants, that the moon basks in a reliable and powerful beam of
: sunlight, and that such an infrastructure could be built with lunar
: materials, then the challenge seems more feasible, Criswell said.

: "Prosperity for everyone on Earth requires a sustainable source of
: electricity," Criswell said. "A priority for me is getting people to
: realize that the lunar power system may be the only option for
: sustainable, global prosperity."

: Freundlich, Criswell and colleagues plan to present their research
: next week at the World Space Congress in Houston, Texas.

Mark Reiff