reveals interesting results. The reference SPS consisted of an array of solar cells measuring 10.4 km by 5.5 km. The phased array antenna to keep microwave intensity within safe limits is 1 km in diameter. The mass of the reference configuration was estimated at 34 million kilograms. A huge construction facility with a variety of construction equipment was designed to support building the SPS on orbit. The construction approach featured a high degree of automation and remote operating systems to minimize exposure of EVA construction workers to the radiation environment. Sufficient detail was formed to establish concepts for some of the equipment that would be needed. The potential for use in other applications led to further study of certain equipment concepts. The need to minimize packaging volume of lightweight structural material led to beam builders like that in Fig. 2. Transporters moved materials and supplies about the base. Remote manipulator systems and space cranes helped solve local mobility needs. Dexterous manipulation without exposure of the EVA astronauts to significant radiation was solved with the ‘man-in-the-can' and the ‘closed cherry picker' concepts (Fig. 3) that provided a direct view of the task. Remote operating system concepts that performed dexterous manipulation at work sites distant from the operator's work station were not developed during the SPS studies. These concepts, depending on television and other sensors, have been developed in the Telerobotic Work System concepts [2,3] and the Flight Telerobotic Servicer currently under development for the Space Station Freedom. The principal facility for building the SPS was the construction base (Fig. 4). The primary base functions were to support the SPS structure and systems and to position and support the construction equipment. The base built the structure, installed and checked out the systems. The base makes a number of longitudinal passes to complete the array depending on its width and the width of the array. The base houses beam
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