Using the above program plan, the demonstration satellite becomes available for salvage early in the year 2000 and full-scale SPS satellites become available for salvage at the rate of two per year beginning late in the year 2030. Concurrent with the full-scale satellites, the rectenna also becomes available for salvage, it is possible that the rectenna will be used for a subsequent SPS if the program continues. If this is the case, some amount of refurbishment may be necessary and/or desirable, thus allowing evolutionary changes in the satellite portion of the system, such as beam power density, beam shape and size, frequency and polarization. In any event, rectenna reuse may be considered to be a salvage use. Figure 1.2 shows the amount of SPS materials which will have become available for salvage as a function of time. The utilization of geosynchronous orbit in the post-2000 time period is likely to be quite intense. Thus it is likely that any structures or satellites that are placed in this orbit will have to be removed upon completion of their useful life. Accordingly, any unsalvaged SPS-related structures, facilities or satellites will have to be disposed of at the end of their useful life. 1.2 Approach It is clear from Figure 1.2 that all salvage and disposal activities will occur in the post-2000 time period. Salvage or disposal of the demonstration satellite will occur somewhere in the 2000 to 2010 time period; salvage or disposal of full-scale satellites will begin sometime after 2030 and continue at least through 2060. In order to make any estimates of salvage uses and salvage values, it is necessary to place the potential salvage activities into the context of a space program. Thus it is necessary first to establish a mission model for the period 2000 to 2060 as a basis for analysis. Obviously any such mission model will suffer from major uncertainties and, in the end, one can identify only certain long-term trends without becoming specific about particular missions.
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