Space Future - Public Attitudes towards Space Solar Power

Executive Summary

During the summer of 1998, High Frontier 's Space Solar Power Advocacy Group (SSPAG) conducted a grassroots campaign using two direct mail techniques to (1) explore various public attitudes toward Space Solar Power ( SSP) and (2) determine to what extent a grassroots direct mail education campaign for SSP would be financially self-sustaining.

Among survey respondents, results indicate both a strong base of support for SSP in general and a strong relationship between support for an SSP program and a lack of faith in the future availability of fossil fuel resources from two different perspectives: anticipation of a crisis forcing energy prices sharply upward, and a perceived need to explore alternative forms of energy now, before we begin to run out of the ones we use currently.

While these positive conclusions were reached, a lower-than-expected response rate to the mailings, both in survey returns and donations received, indicate a grassroots campaign as performed in the present study is not financially self-sustainable. High Frontier 's future contribution to SSP advocacy, rather, should involve programs with economically efficient outreach programs (background briefings to relevant policymakers, social science and policy-related studies on an as-funded basis, lesson plans for educators available at or near cost, creating a web page and other electronically-distributed materials, etc.)

Introduction

High Frontier is committed to maintaining a viable future for the United States and the rest of the world through advocacy of medium-range space technology programs.

SSP has been a part of High Frontier 's vision for a future sustainable world since its inception in 1981. In its seminal report, High Frontier : A New National Strategy, SSP was mentioned as a desirable option for providing energy for growing global requirements (p. 71). In support of SSP, High Frontier has included it as one of the three major topics (ballistic missile defense and space transportation systems being the others) addressed in its scholarly journal Space Energy and Transportation, formerly The Journal of Practical Applications in Space.

Hal Howes of High Frontier is spearheading the project assisted by two longtime members of the space community; Fred Koomanoff, who was in charge of the original Department of Energy/National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( DOE/NASA ) SSP study, published in 1980 and Richard Marsten, who has held several senior technical and management positions in both government and industry. Their experience and perspective are valuable additions to SSPAG's policymaking process. Doug Frye, a research and policy analyst on High Frontier 's full-time staff during the time of the study is also editor of Space Energy and Transportation and High Frontier 's bi-monthly publication, The Shield.

Fundraising Efforts

Project Summary

The fundraising campaign took place during the months of July and August, 1998. Two distinct techniques were utilized, and two different types of potential donors were targeted. The two techniques, one using a letter and a self-reporting survey (the "survey package") the other using only a persuasive letter (the "straight pitch package"), were mailed to half of each mailing list selected. The two types of potential donors came from "subscriber" lists, which included subscribers to various publications, and "donor" lists, which included persons who had previously donated to environment-related direct mail solicitations.

A total of 49,122 pieces (25,825 survey packages, and 23,297 straight pitch packages) were mailed. The total amount of donations received for both packages was $1,183.00, with $725 (55 donors contributing an average of $13.67 each) coming from the survey package; $451 coming from the straight pitch package (18 donors contributing an average of $25.05 each); and $7 coming from "white mail," in which this single donation came in a plain envelope with no way to track from which package it came.

Survey Results

Methodology

Recipients of the survey package were requested to read the enclosed letter, respond to the survey, and return it with a donation to High Frontier . The survey requested certain demographic data as well as responses to 11 statements using a 7-point Likert scale, with responses ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree), with 4 (neither agree nor disagree) as neutral. Respondents to the survey were classified into those who enclosed a donation (donors), and those who returned the survey without a donation (non-donors.) Both segments taken together were kept as a "master list."

Responses were input into a commercial statistics package for analysis. Descriptive statistics were run, and linear regression analysis was conducted using amount donated and the response to Statement 11, "I would support efforts to develop alternative forms of energy like Space Solar Power" as dependent variables, with statements 1-10 and certain demographic data: age of respondent, household income, and number of children in the household, as independent variables.

Results

High Frontier received 268 usable surveys via return mail, 55 donors, 213 non-donors. Results suggest:

Democrats were twice as likely to donate as other individual political party affiliates;
Males were approximately twice as likely to donate as women;
85% of donors reporting the number of children in their household reported "0";
Among donors, as expected, those with higher incomes contributed greater amounts;
For Statement 11, "I would support efforts to develop alternative forms of energy like Space Solar Power," 78.6% of masterfile respondents indicated either moderate (20.6%) or strong (58.0%) agreement.

A more detailed analysis was conducted to determine the relationships among responses to the questionnaire. For both the donor file and masterfile, Statement 11 and Donation (actual amount sent to High Frontier ) were used as dependent variables in a linear regression operation. Among survey respondents, results indicate a strong base of support for SSP program in relation to a lack of faith in the future availability of fossil fuel resources from two different perspectives: (1) anticipation of a crisis forcing energy prices sharply upward, and (2) a perceived need to explore alternative forms of energy now, before we begin to run out of the ones we use currently. As expected, those respondents reporting higher incomes tended to donate at higher levels. The results are expressed statistically in Table 1.

Table 1. Results of Statistical Analysis


High Frontier Space Solar Power Advocacy Group 1999	Public Attitudes towards Space Solar Power
	Doug Frye
	Executive Summary During the summer of 1998, High Frontier 's Space Solar Power Advocacy Group (SSPAG) conducted a grassroots campaign using two direct mail techniques to (1) explore various public attitudes toward Space Solar Power ( SSP) and (2) determine to what extent a grassroots direct mail education campaign for SSP would be financially self-sustaining. Among survey respondents, results indicate both a strong base of support for SSP in general and a strong relationship between support for an SSP program and a lack of faith in the future availability of fossil fuel resources from two different perspectives: anticipation of a crisis forcing energy prices sharply upward, and a perceived need to explore alternative forms of energy now, before we begin to run out of the ones we use currently. While these positive conclusions were reached, a lower-than-expected response rate to the mailings, both in survey returns and donations received, indicate a grassroots campaign as performed in the present study is not financially self-sustainable. High Frontier 's future contribution to SSP advocacy, rather, should involve programs with economically efficient outreach programs (background briefings to relevant policymakers, social science and policy-related studies on an as-funded basis, lesson plans for educators available at or near cost, creating a web page and other electronically-distributed materials, etc.) Introduction High Frontier is committed to maintaining a viable future for the United States and the rest of the world through advocacy of medium-range space technology programs. SSP has been a part of High Frontier 's vision for a future sustainable world since its inception in 1981. In its seminal report, High Frontier : A New National Strategy, SSP was mentioned as a desirable option for providing energy for growing global requirements (p. 71). In support of SSP, High Frontier has included it as one of the three major topics (ballistic missile defense and space transportation systems being the others) addressed in its scholarly journal Space Energy and Transportation, formerly The Journal of Practical Applications in Space. Hal Howes of High Frontier is spearheading the project assisted by two longtime members of the space community; Fred Koomanoff, who was in charge of the original Department of Energy/National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( DOE/NASA ) SSP study, published in 1980 and Richard Marsten, who has held several senior technical and management positions in both government and industry. Their experience and perspective are valuable additions to SSPAG's policymaking process. Doug Frye, a research and policy analyst on High Frontier 's full-time staff during the time of the study is also editor of Space Energy and Transportation and High Frontier 's bi-monthly publication, The Shield. Fundraising Efforts Project Summary The fundraising campaign took place during the months of July and August, 1998. Two distinct techniques were utilized, and two different types of potential donors were targeted. The two techniques, one using a letter and a self-reporting survey (the "survey package") the other using only a persuasive letter (the "straight pitch package"), were mailed to half of each mailing list selected. The two types of potential donors came from "subscriber" lists, which included subscribers to various publications, and "donor" lists, which included persons who had previously donated to environment-related direct mail solicitations. A total of 49,122 pieces (25,825 survey packages, and 23,297 straight pitch packages) were mailed. The total amount of donations received for both packages was $1,183.00, with $725 (55 donors contributing an average of $13.67 each) coming from the survey package; $451 coming from the straight pitch package (18 donors contributing an average of $25.05 each); and $7 coming from "white mail," in which this single donation came in a plain envelope with no way to track from which package it came. Survey Results Methodology Recipients of the survey package were requested to read the enclosed letter, respond to the survey, and return it with a donation to High Frontier . The survey requested certain demographic data as well as responses to 11 statements using a 7-point Likert scale, with responses ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree), with 4 (neither agree nor disagree) as neutral. Respondents to the survey were classified into those who enclosed a donation (donors), and those who returned the survey without a donation (non-donors.) Both segments taken together were kept as a "master list." Responses were input into a commercial statistics package for analysis. Descriptive statistics were run, and linear regression analysis was conducted using amount donated and the response to Statement 11, "I would support efforts to develop alternative forms of energy like Space Solar Power" as dependent variables, with statements 1-10 and certain demographic data: age of respondent, household income, and number of children in the household, as independent variables. Results High Frontier received 268 usable surveys via return mail, 55 donors, 213 non-donors. Results suggest: Democrats were twice as likely to donate as other individual political party affiliates; Males were approximately twice as likely to donate as women; 85% of donors reporting the number of children in their household reported "0"; Among donors, as expected, those with higher incomes contributed greater amounts; For Statement 11, "I would support efforts to develop alternative forms of energy like Space Solar Power," 78.6% of masterfile respondents indicated either moderate (20.6%) or strong (58.0%) agreement. A more detailed analysis was conducted to determine the relationships among responses to the questionnaire. For both the donor file and masterfile, Statement 11 and Donation (actual amount sent to High Frontier ) were used as dependent variables in a linear regression operation. Among survey respondents, results indicate a strong base of support for SSP program in relation to a lack of faith in the future availability of fossil fuel resources from two different perspectives: (1) anticipation of a crisis forcing energy prices sharply upward, and (2) a perceived need to explore alternative forms of energy now, before we begin to run out of the ones we use currently. As expected, those respondents reporting higher incomes tended to donate at higher levels. The results are expressed statistically in Table 1. Table 1. Results of Statistical Analysis
# Sig T represents the statistical probability the conclusions reached are untrue. * Statement 11: I would support efforts to develop alternative forms of energy like Space Solar Power. Statement 6: Unless alternative sourcesof energy are developed soon, there will be an energy "crisis" forcing energy prices sharply upward. * Statement 10: It is important to explore alternative forms of energy now, before we begin to run out of the ones we use currently.	Masterfile Dependent Variable: Donation Independent Variable: Income: Sig T^#= .0429 Dependent Variable: Support for SSP^* Independent Variable: Energy Crisis^ Sig T^#= .0001 Alternative Fuels Now^* Sig T^#= .0022 Donorfile Dependent Variable: Donation Independent Variable: Income Sig T^#= .0089 Dependent Variable: Support for SSP^* Independent Variable: None of statistical significance. Interpretation of Results The small rate of return (approximately 1% of surveys as opposed to a typical 3%) may be in part explained by noting respondents were responsible foraffixing their own postage, rather than being provided a postage-paid Business Reply Envelope (BRE). However, High Frontier does not feel this is a full explanation of the weak response rate. A strong economy and the low cost of gasoline and other fossil fuels at the time of the study may have lead most to the perception that there is no possibility of an energy "crisis" in the short- or medium-term that would cause a spike in the price of fossil fuels. Hence, most may not feel it necessary to begin development of alternative fuels now, before resource depletion forces such development. This response to only looming disaster seems to be an American trait. Even recipients of this survey package and the straight pitch package, picked for their expressed interest in environmental issues, do not yet seem to be concerned about the need for alternative sources of energy. (Subscribers to New Republic magazine, picked for its conservative base to serve as a potential ideological counterbalance were exceptions to this general conclusion and they may serve as a nucleus for future advocacy efforts.) Study results also indicate several factors affecting willingness to donate to campaigns such as that used in the present study, and a willingness to support efforts to develop SSP, were not addressed. Other environmental concerns are suspected contributing factors; e.g., the fact SSP is a space-based technology program may project the image of "science fiction" rather than a realistic program. Conclusions and Recommendations for Future Study and High Frontier Programs While a large-scale direct mail outreach program would not be self-sustaining at this time we are optimistic in the long-term prospects for SSP; but there is still a lack of broad-based public awareness of the need and only limited in the public toward meeting the need. Still, the germ of government interest can be exploited and there are currently funds being provided as a basis for a serious SSP program.