8.36 The construction shacks are ordered as shown in Figure 8.11 with the large final fabrication shack closest to the frame and the refinery shack farthest away. In this way the vehicle arriving with lunar raw material can unload directly at the refinery at one extreme end of the mast. As the material is processed, it moves through the shacks toward the center and emerges in final section or bulkhead form from the fabrication shack right next to the frame. Finally, the living quarters are located on the other side of the frame from the shacks for safety and psychological reasons. However, the exact location of the living quarters is not critical to the design of the construction site. VIII.7.2.2: Local Transportation: Local transportation around the colony site is provided by two mechanical systems: the.cranes and the hoist. The hoist is a pressurized cab with attached manipulator arms which runs along tracks on the mast. It thus provides transportation among the living quarters, frame/crane area, and work shacks. The pressurized cab carries the hoist operator and construction personnel. The manipulator arms grasp and move equipment and subassemblies along the mast. Specifically the hoist moves completed hull sections and inter-hull bulkheads out of the final fabrication shack and to a point where the manipulator arms of the cabs on the cranes can take hold of them. As previously described, cranes pick up the sections and bulkheads from the hoist, move them to their intended location in the colony structure, and hold them in position while they are assembled into place. The cranes translate along the frame to provide motion in the x direction, the cabs run around the cranes to provide motion in the 6 direction, and the manipulators move in and out to provide motion in the r direction. The construction scheme uses two cranes so that while one is pivoted to work on the endcaps, the other is free to move back and forth bringing newly fabricated sections and bulkheads from the hoist. The two mechanical transportation systems described have several advantages over any free floating minivehicles or space pods for use
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