Since one month between space manufacturing facility completion and beginning of large mass driver reaction engine construction is used to de-spin the asteroid, the return of the asteroid begins at month 28 + (25 • 3) + 1 + 4 = 108. The reaction mass expended during the return is the same proportion of the original mass as in the case of the first asteroid, 0.109, so the mass delivered to high earth orbit is 8.91 x 10^ 1 t. Since all of the mass of the asteroid, including waste mass from space manufacturing facility operation, can be used in some part of the habitat, this is enough to construct 8.91 x 10^ t (habitat / 10^ t) = 8.91 = 8 habitats. Since the second asteroid is returned in 51 months, as was the first, 17 generations of space manufacturing facilities could be produced during the return. The number of generations actually produced will be that required so that the total time until habitat completion is minimum; since habitats have enough tolerance to acceleration, they will be produced during the return. The minimum occurs when 7 more generations are complete, when the rate of construction is 2^2.32.2 t/mo. = 1.38 x 101' t/mo„ and the construction of the habitats takes The construction is complete at month 108 + (7 • 3) + 6 = 135. Since the habitats reach the final orbit at month 108 + 51 = 159, the construction of the habitats is complete before they are returned. After completion of the habitats, the mass remaining for construction of vehicles is 8.91 x 10^ t - 8 x 10^ t= 9.1 x 10^. Construction takes and is complete at month 135 + 1 = 136. Some of these vehicles are used immediately to transport plants and animals to the habitats. Since the round trip takes 12 months, these life forms enter the habitat at month 136 + 12 = 148. The spin-up and pairing take place one month after the habitats reach their final orbit, and is complete at month 159 + 1 = 160. Humans begin habitation one year later, at month 160 + 12 = 172 = 14 yr., 4 mo. If low earth orbit construction is not used, all operations are as above, except, since the mass driver reaction engine leaves low earth orbit at month 4 instead of month 9, the habitats are entered by humans at month 172 - 5 = 167 = 13 yr., 11 mo. If solar power satellites are not constructed, the delays in habitat construction caused by the 3 months the space manufacturing facility spends on the first asteroid before departure for the second, and the 8 months travel time between the first and second asteroid are eliminated. In the case in which low earth orbit construction is not
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