Required Technology: Advanced tether controls Powerful tether dcploycr Maneuverable tether tip Large power supply High-Isp propulsion Propellant extraction Transport Capabilities: Surface—Orbit—Escape Handles large payloads Max g-loads < ,3 gee Rocket backup if desired Two-way mass flow is "free” Net boosting costs ~25 MWH/lonne Polar orbit: frequent access to poles & Infrequent access everywhere Equatorial: frequent access to equator LUNAR - ORBITING TETHER FACILITY Long swinging tethers or short spinning ones? Three ranges of deltaV have utility: small, for capturing payloads in orbit 850 m/s, to get 2/3 of surface-TEI deltaV 1700 m/s, to pick up objects on surface
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