Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB
[blocks in formation]

11

The evolution of lunar industrial development can follow different paths, depending upon decisions during earlier phases of space industrialization, especially decisions related to a space energy industry and to transportation systems 1.e. chemical (oxygen/hydrogen consuming) or nonchemical (electric or nuclear-hydrogen consuming) propulsion systems. Beginning at left, assuming the nod on using lunar resources and if microwave transmission is selected, and if fusion is used as primary energy source, a relatively comprehensive lunar industrial development could be stimulated, since the great majority of materials needed for fusion-powered microwave plants (metals, silicon) is available on the

Moon.

If solar energy is used in conjunction with microwave transmission, a lesser stimulation of lunar industrial development through space energy systems is expected. Solar systems are not heated independently as are fusion systems Therefore, their materials are subject to considerable temperature variations. This and other considerations suggest that different materials not available on the Moon should be used extensively (carbon fiber, graphite epoxy, protected by metallic coating from solar UV and particles). Thus, the choice of interorbital transportation becomes a factor. If chemical drives are used, the supply load from Earth could be reduced significantly (at an insignificant reduction in terrestrial jobs) by using lunar oxygen. Since sodium would be a highly effective metallic coating material for structural components of the power satellites, a more limited lunar industry providing liquid lunar oxygen (LLOX) and sodium could be stimulated.

The same follows if the Powersoletta approach is taken in combination
with chemical transports, except that delivery would be to different
orbits (3-hour and a trans-geosynchronous orbit). If non-chemical
propulsion is used in conjunction with Soletta, the principal potential
candidate for initial lunar industrialization would be sodium.

If the decision on using lunar resources for large energy structures is negative, other factors entering into Open World evolution at a later time will determine lunar industrial development.

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

Space industrialization is an overarching concept. But it is not one
project, even one like Apollo (with its "side" projects of Mercury,
Gemini, Surveyor and Lunar Orbiter) with a limited number of well-defined
transportation systems.

This chart is a simplified reflection of the interaction between objectives
and a key infrastructural component, transportation, in a protracted
evolutionary process.

The upshot is the key role of three Earth-to-orbit transports (Shuttle,
Shuttle-derivative Heavy Load Lift Vehicle (HLLV) and Aerospace Freighter
(ASF)) and a multitude of Orbital Transfer Vehicles (OTV) as well as lunar
ascent/descent transportation. In addition to OTV, the designations have
the following meaning:

ASS'Y = assembly

Cislunar refers to OTV operating between lunar orbit and GSO
Geolunar refers to OTV operating between NEO and lunar orbit

Geospace = refers to OTV operating between NEO and GSO

[blocks in formation]

LLOX Supertanker a lunar liquid oxygen transporter of 5000 tons or

more capacity

NEO= near-Earth orbit

S/F

[ocr errors]

5000 tons or more) superfreighter (an OTV with a transportation capacity of about

SPS = space power satellite

75 T/KM2 area weight of 75 tons per sq. kilometer = larger or smaller or approximately equal to a reflector

The applicable regimes for each of the reusable launch vehicles is
Two points are to be made here.
indicated by dashed (Shuttle), dotted (HLLV) and dash-dot (ASF) markings.
One is that Shuttle and HLLV are not
sequential but have parallel applications. Introduction of the HLLV
should not eliminate the Shuttle's usefulness. The second is that the
terrestrial supply requirements for building fusion-based large (5 giga-
watt) electric power systems using lunar resources would be low enough
sources,
to be met by the HLLV rather than an ASF (as to the use of lunar re-
see chart LUNAR INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT DECISION TREE)

[ocr errors]
[blocks in formation]
« AnteriorContinuar »