Support equipment for this application includes SOFI stripping equipment and a method of melting the aluminium cut from the ET (15, 18, 20 92). The cut aluminium is fed into an induction furnace for melting. The asymmetric winding of this furnace pools the molten aluminium at one end where it can be drawn off and powdered. These are examples of space operations that use tools and techniques which are familiar to industry on the earth and can be adapted to on-orbit operations. B. Mass Driver Fuel In the middle 1970’s, Dr. O’Neill proposed the Mass Driver as a tool necessary in the construction of very large structures in space (52). It was proposed as a means of recovering asteroids, launching large quantities of lunar soils off the moon, and even as a very large OTV for use in Cislunar space. The beauty of the Mass Driver is that it is not sensitive to what is used as reaction mass. In this context, Dr. O’Neill proposed powdering the tanks and using them as reaction mass for a mass driver. A moderately efficient mass driver was proposed that could mover 850 tons from LEO to Lunar orbit expending 1,050 tons (about 30) of powdered tanks (62). This is a possible use of the ET which may be significant if there are no competing uses of the ET in an unpowdered form. C. Reaction Engines There are two other possible reation mass applications. The Railgun, currently being discussed in SDI research as a kinetic kill weapon, was proposed as a space engine (11). A railgun reaction engine could use powdered ET materials as reaction mass. It is not as efficient as the mass driver or the aluminium rocket, but may serve as an emergency manuvering system for military battle stations. Problems with the railgun include a fairly serious polution problem due to large masses of debris being thrown away behind the engine. A similar device with the same capabilities and the same problems is the coilgun also being researched in the SDI effort.
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