WHAT’S NEXT, POWER AND ICT IN SPACE? Things like data centers, ICT infrastructure, and both in-situ resources (mostly hydrogen and oxygen production from water) utilization or mined extraction will entail heavy power requirements for any sized colonies on the Moon or Mars. Power generation will probably be some mix of solar, nuclear, battery storage, wind, and hydrogen fuel cells along with the need to include dissimilar power sources. Work will have to be accomplished almost exclusively with electronic equipment including brushless dc electric motors. Digitally converged and complemented dc power systems are the most logical choice for providing basic energy. “Driven by technology, economics, and policy, the energy transition will reimagine how we produce, transport, store, and consume energy. Its pace, scale, and complexity present a transformational opportunity for our infrastructure. But for that transformation to be both just and sustainable, it must occur at the intersection
He is on the Editorial Review Board for ICT Today, the official trade Journal of BICSI. Pat is an editorial review committee member for the Telecommunications Distribution Methods Manual and the Information Technology Systems Installation Methods Manual. Pat can be reached at patrick.mahoney@aecom.com. Brian T. Patterson is the Chairman and a founder of the EMerge Alliance, a 501c non-profit corporation developing application standards for hybrid ac/dc powered building, enterprise, neighborhood and community level microgrids. Patterson has an extensive technical and work history in electronics, optical fiber and building technologies and holds multiple patents in those fields. He is Managing Director of B. L. Coliker Associates, a technology consulting firm and formerly General Manger of Armstrong World Industries. He is the US representative to IEC SysC on LVDC, a member of IEEE and sponsor of its 2030.10 workgroup on electricity access, a representative
to NEMA, CABA, SEPA, PSMA, and an active participant in UL/NEMA/NFPA/Emerge task group on DC power. He has held guest professorships in business and innovation management at Long Island University and Susquehanna University. Brian can be reached at bpatterson@emergealliance.org. Todd Taylor is a senior technology manager with 40 years of experience in the ICT industry with the last 24 focused in healthcare, data center and educational facilities design, integration, and implementation management. This includes master planning, design, installation and commissioning of technology infrastructures that support voice, data, video, paging, security, RTLS and nurse call. He also is very active in driving the healthcare design standards within the industry by leading and participating in various committees within BICSI, HIMSS, FGI and TIA. Todd is a Past President of BICSI. Todd can be reached at todd.taylor@aecom.com.
NASA is already working in collaboration with Sandia National Laboratories and others to develop robust, autonomous, and fault-tolerant dc microgrids to enable sustainable lunar surface power. Space may well be the first place we see the ultimate convergence of power and ICT technologies. Data from satellites in low orbits is already impacting our terrestrial technology. Establishing data centers on the moon is now a serious consideration for mankind. AUTHOR BIOGRAPHIES: Patrick Mahoney has been in the ICT industry for more than 30 years. He is a Senior Technology & Security Consultant at AECOM Technology Solutions. AECOM partners with clients to solve the world’s most complex challenges. He currently serves as Vice-Chair of BICSI’s Standards Committee, and Chair of BICSI's Healthcare Standard Subcommittee. Pat is a member of the BICSI Technical Information & Methods Committee.
of people, policy, and technology.”
Jennifer Obertino, P.E., AECOM global energy practice leader.
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