Re: Space port/dock/ship yard location

On Aug 24, 9:55 am, Space Cadet <kaw...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
If you wanted to build an orbit facility for interplanetary (or even
interstellar) craft
Where would you locate it?
Earth Moon L1?
Earth Sun L2?
Some other location?

Just my $0.02

Space Cadet

derwetzelsDASHspacecadetATyahooDOTcom

Moon Society - St. Louis Chapter

http://www.moonsociety.org/chapters/stlouis/

The Moon Society is a non-profit educational and
scientific foundation formed to further scientific
study and development of the moon.

I would build a commercial space launch center at the following
locations on Earth;

1) a deserted island chain in Indonesia, on the equator
2) at the mouth of the Amazon River in Brazil
3) at the uranium mines on the Congo River in Gabon

I would build space launch infrastructure and vehicles at major
shipping ports in Europe, California, US East Coast, South Korea, and
Japan and have the parts assembled at each of the launch centers.

These launch centers will fly a fleet of approximately a dozen each,
of fully reusable 3-stage hydrogen/oxygen propelled vehicles that
place 1,000 tonnes each into GEO, with a launch vehicle with a 125,000
tonne GLOW.

They fly generally along the equator in an Easterly direction, and
the first stage booster is recovered downrange from the launch point,
at the next launch center. There it is refurbished and reused. It is
then launched Eastward again, and reused again. After the third
launch, it returns to the original launch point. The second stage,
attains LEO with 5,000 tonne upper stage, and deorbits at the launch
center - and is reused. The third stage, boosts 1,000 tonnes into
GEO, a six hour orbit, or Lunar Free Return trajectory, a 7 day orbit,
or a mars transfer trajectory that returns the booster to Earth in
precisely 24 months. The booster lands at the most convenient launch
center when it returns to Earth.

In GEO a solar power satellite is deployed, capalbe of generating 27
GW of power which is beamed to users across the face of the Earth
simultaneously in 10 kW increments. The 1,000 tonne lunar spacecraft
lands 200 tonnes on the lunar surface and returns it to Earth. One-
way, returning empty, permits the spacecraft to up this to 400 tonnes
one way. A similar quantity is landed on mars by this 1,000 tonne
stage.

A fleet of 36 vehicles for the planet permit one flight every two days
for each launch center - a total of 1.5 flights per day 547 flights
per year. This is 500 flights for solar power satellites, 26 flights
per year to the moon, and the balance of flights for other launches -
including satellite constellation launch into polar orbit, deep space
exploration of the solar system, test satellites for asteroidal
intercept and movement and so forth.

On the moon, Tycho Crater or Copernicus Crater recommend themselves
since they are rather large, deep and recent. Tycho is 100 my old and
Copernicus 800 my old. They're likely to have dug up some things of
interest

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tycho_(crater)

Its easily reached along minimum energy trajectories from Earth, and
so is a good landing point. Tycho was chosen by Robert Heinlein as
the moonbase location in his science fiction story, Moon is a Harsh
Mistress for that reason. A mass driver built there can shoot
payloads to the Lagrange points, and to Earth, along minimum energy
trajectories.

On Mars, I pick Isidis Planitia at the border with Syrtis Major, its
easy to get to from a minimumenergy orbit, and its smooth, and its
likely to have lots of water underfoot or nearby - temperatures are
relatively mild - so, its a good place to start.

I see sending 36 ships each with 1,000 tonne stages, to Mars, salvo
launched every synodic period. This requires additional second
stages and payload stages for the 'mars fleet' - however, this
provides the means to send 36,000 tonnes to mars every 2 years - which
provides the means to support up to 18,000 people on the red planet -
until water is developed. Then, over 100,000 people may be supporte
by this modest fleet.

The moon has 26 flights per year dedicated to it on a regular 2 week
basis. This provides 26,000 tonnes per year - which supports 26,000
people on the moon, until water is found and developed. Then, over
150,000 people may be supported by this same fleet.

At $1 million per tonne, this program costs $62 billion per year. No
worries, the residuals from power sales and communications services
provide more than double this amount each year, providing means to
expand the fleet, maintain the fleet and infrastructure, as well as
fly the fleet efficiently, and do substantial research in new
propulsion and space faring technologies.

.

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