SPS Salvage and Disposal Alternatives

If the demonstration program is not successful, and if it is not desirable to use the demonstration satellite as a power source for a laser space transportation system, it will be available as a source of power and subsystems for non-SPS space activities or as a source of space-based raw materials. Both of these applications of the demonstration satellite require the segmenting of the satellite and the utilization of the segments over extended periods of time depending upon the non-SPS space activities' demands for power, subsystems and raw materials. When the demonstration satellite is used as a source of power and subsystems for other space activities, its salvage value is on the order of $0.2 billion. This value derives from costs (both hardware and transportation) that would be foregone by the other space activities because of the use of the demonstration. satellite subsystems. When the demonstration satellite is used as a source of raw materials, its salvage value is relatively small, being on the order of $0.1 billion. A large part of this value is the result of transportation costs that may be foregone since the materials are already in geosynchronous orbit. Clearly these salvage uses are less preferred than the former uses. 5.2 Full-Scale SPS Satellite Salvage Value Section 4 developed the salvage value for a full-scale SPS satellite relative to its date of initial operation. The salvage value was developed for continued use of the satellites in the SPS program, as a power supply for non-SPS space activities, as a power supply for laser transportation (orbit-to-orbit and aircraft) systems, as a facility for asteroid capture and mining and as a source of space-based materials. These applications of the full-scale SPS satellites are summarized in Figure 5.1. The salvage value of the SPS satellites for these uses occur 50 to 80 years in the future. The uses which appear to be most attractive include laser transportation systems, both space-to-space and for aircraft on

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