7.1 CHAPTER VII STRUCTURAL DESIGN VII.l: OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS OF THE COLONY STRUCTURE The space colony's structure has to meet several sets of design criteria imposed on it by construction, manufacturing, and habitation loads. During the initial construction, the structure has to support the power generating equipment;and during the assembly of the station, the structure must be able to bear the construction loads. Materials processing and component manufacture b,)th impose restrictions on the structure. The hull and framework must be simply designed for easy assembly; standardization of materials must be accomplished for minimal variation in materials processing; and the structure must be able to support the loads due to materials processing and component manufacturing before being completed for operation . Once the colony's structure is completed it is still subjected to a wide variety of requirements. It must withstand the transient loads associated with pressurization and spin-up. Once it obtains a habitable environment,the colony's structure must provide a guaranteed minimum lifetime. Individual component failure will be tolerated, but the overall integrity of the colony must be maintained for a period not less than 30 years. The colony must, therefore, be designed to be easily maintained, inspected, and repaired. Once the colony is occupied, the structure must be able to sustain the loads associated with its operating envelope. A thermal balance must be maintained to within a few degrees for the safety of the occupants and the agriculture. The colony must be protected from the space environment's background radiation and high energy micrometeoroids. To accomplish this,the structure must be provided with shielding; i.e., either an integrally attached shield or a passive stationary screen. This design consideration was dis~ussed in some detail in the previous chapter. Internally, the structure must withstand the loads associated with agriculture, m2nufacturing,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTU5NjU0Mg==