Lunar resource use for satellite manufacturing will also require some manned presence and therefore habitat and medical facilities. More extensive medical care is required due to the longer travel time to Earth. Lunar gravity poses unique physiological problems, and unique adaptation responses will likely be seen. Most of these issues have not been previously studied in detail. Reintroduction of gravity increases the need for robotic operations and as well, requires that a more dexterous, mobile, EVA suit be developed The rectennas used in a satellite power system will affect the environment and human society around them. Each proposed rectenna location should have an environmental and social impact statement prepared that addresses the effects of construction and operation of the rectenna. Rapid construction using large amounts of fresh water and many workers near small desert communities will have a very negative ecological and social impact. This can be mitigated by building modules elsewhere and shipping them in, as is currently done in environmentally sensitive areas (for example, on the North Slope of Alaska in the United States). Likewise, rectenna designs that require dedication and leveling large tracts of land, thus destroying natural habitat, are less desirable than designs that allow multiple use and preservation of maximal natural habitat. Finally, the security of any space solar power satellite must be insured. No nation or group of individuals may be allowed to misuse the satellite in a manner that is directly and unduly harmful to humans, or other biological and physical components of Earth's environment. In order to answer the questions that remain regarding the effects of power beaming on the environment and safety of ecological systems and living organisms, fundamental research is essential. We must implement a general research plan to predict the effects of a solar power program before each phase of the program can be realized. When the objectives of a particular demonstration are defined and an Environmental Impact Statement is made (see for example section 10.3.3), we must consider step by step tasks which will enable the demonstration. The proposed schedules are divided into near term and long term tasks with demonstrations as milestones in the overall development of a large-scale solar power program. Figure 6.9 shows the near term environmental tasks starting with the commencement of a space solar power program and ending with preliminary results from the conclusion of Demo 2, a demonstration of space to Earth power beaming. As Demo 1 concerns space to space power beaming it is not extensively considered in the environmental testing. The research program can be seen to be divided into two major branches, investigations on power transmission effects and on the environmental effects of the rectenna. Each of these is then broken down into more detailed topics for experimentation. The time frame of this near term investigation is a total of 17 years with the space to Earth demonstration occurring 13 years after the start of the program. Preliminary results are expected up to four years after the launch of Demo 2. Figure 6.10 considers the long term environmental tasks beginning with the launch of Demo 2 and ends 19 years later. The tasks considered can be divided into four parts, the continuation of previous environmental testing, new investigation of the environmental impact on the extraterrestrial environment, medical and crew safety and security investigations for assembly and maintenance, and investigation on the effects of frequent launches on the Earth atmosphere. Under the heading continued environmental testing one should note that the epidemiological studies near rectenna sites is a very long term research endeavor and continues well beyond the scope of this testing phase. Finally, the major milestone in this testing phase is the demonstration of 1 MW power beaming from a human assembled space solar power system which is launched seven years after the launch of demo 2 and allows for 12 years of data collection before the end of this research phase.
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