V-B-3 Logistics Facility The Logistic Facility consists of a Materials Supply Storage Module, Docking Port Module, Docking/Service and Maintenance Module, and attached Transit System. The Logistic Facility's principal function is a "warehouse" in orbit to provide the capability for receiving, storage, and distribution of supplies, construction materials, fuels, spare parts, and maintenance tools. An efficient storage and distribution management capability will be needed in the Materials Supply Storage Module due to the magnitude of materials traffic. The logistics of personnel and construction materials as they are required in different manufacturing facilities and locations about the SPS will require a sophisticated transit system. This transit system could be powered by rechargeable batteries or fuel cells. The transport of personnel and materials about the column/cable configuration can be accomplished by three types of vehicles: a. Personnel carriers - Sized to carry 25 people seated, 50 for emergency conditions. Each contains oxygen, water, and food for 50 people. The carriers could serve as a safe haven for protection in emergencies due to pressure loss in habitation modules. b. Cargo carriers - Pallets which attach together forming a small train to transport containerized or packaged cargo. c. Propulsion unit - To propel items a and b above and can be manned, unmanned, or computer controlled similar to the railroad system. (The propulsion units may be ganged together for large loads.) A Docking Port Module will be an integral part of the Logistics Facility and will be used for loading/unloading and servicing arriving and departing orbital transfer vehicles. Payloads (materials and personnel) will be transferred from the Docking Port Module via the attached transit system to other elements of the construction base. The Docking Port Module will also serve as a staging area for on-call crew rescue orbital transfer vehicles. Maintenance, repair, refurbishment, and servicing for construction equipment and vehicle systems will be done in the docking/servicing maintenance module. Fuel storage and fuel transfer operations will also be provided by this module. V-B-4 Integration Management Facility Because of the number of daily arriving and departing Orbital Transfer Vehicles, the displacement of construction base elements, timing of sequence of construction operations, and communications between
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