both fissile and fertile fuels, and that processing of solid fuel elements is not required. Exhibit 14 represents this process schematically. In either the thermionic or Brayton systems, the reactor will consist of 16 modules of one GWe capacity each. The modules will be assembled and fueled in low earth orbit and the total satellite then transferred to geosynchronous orbit under its own power. Only two to four modules need be energized to provide the electric power necessary for the thrusters required for a 100 day transfer to geosynchronous orbit (assuming 50% thruster efficiency). Thus when "self- powering" away from low orbit, and still relatively near the atmosphere, only a relatively small quantity of fission products will be produced in the MSBR salt mixture. Some U(235)F^, a "bomb grade" material must be present in those power modules used for ascent. In operation, the MSBR breeds U(233) from thorium. In a reactor module designed primarily for power production the fuel doubling time would be approximately six years. By placing design emphasis on breeding, this time could be reduced so that bred fuels would then be available for later satellite power systems. The basic fertile fuel which is carried up is thorium. All nuclear satellite power systems produce radioactive wastes. These could be accumulated at the satellites, or accelerated to a remote location by a rocket disposal system. Geosynchronous orbital velocity and altitude provides an advantageous starting condition for such a system. The sixteen modules, each one GWe, are sufficient to provide a 10 GWe ground output. The transmitter and power generating systems are rigidly connected, and attitude control for the entire system is provided to mechanically point the transmitter to the ground rectenna (additional electronic pointing is of course required). In the thermionic system each generating module is located in the center of a 2300 ft (700 m) square radiator associated with that module. Eight modules are connected together linearly and joined to the transmitter between the fourth and fifth modules. Distributing the modules in this fashion increases the distance over which electrical distribution occurs, but the resultant mass penalty is less than the radiator manifold mass penalty which would occur if the modules were clustered together. The
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