Development of Manufacturing Facilities in Space Able to Use Only Extraterrestrial Materials JUDSON T. HEWITT* Summary: The use of self-reproducing manufacturing facilities in space would allow the launch of a relatively small mass of material and equipment to produce a large manufacturing capacity in space, which could then be used for the construction of large space habitats and solar power satellites. The cost and schedules of different plans for use of self-reproducing manufacturing facilities for construction of these products is found. Technical characteristics begin with assumptions used by the Space Studies Institute for its plans for use of self-reproducing manufacturing facilities for construction of solar power satellites. A comparison is made with the cost of solar power satellite construction using plans given in the 1977 NASA study on Space Resources and Space Settlements. It is found that the time until completion of the first three solar power satellites using self-reproduction is six years and one month for self-reproduction which requires 10% by mass of supplies from earth per generation of facility, and seven years and six months for pure self-reproduction. In comparison, the time for completion of the first three solar power satellites is six years without reproduction. The costs to this point are respectively $42.56 billion, $11.24 billion, and $136.54 billion (1983 dollars). Introduction Plans which yield manufacturing facilities in space independent of supply from earth are hypothesized and analyzed. Initial supplies are brought from earth to low earth orbit by the space shuttle, and transferred to other locations by mass driver reaction engine, or, in some cases, by hydrogen-oxygen rocket. Extraterrestrial materials used in these plans are from the moon or asteroids. Definitions = These symbols indicate rounding up or down to an integer. The direction of rounding depends on context. Costs If costs are assigned to salaries, this money is used for human lifesupport. Otherwise, costs are only for purchase or other use of energy, equipment, buildings, supplies, and raw material. All costs are in 1983 dollars, or if the original reference for a cost figure is not from 1983, a correction is made after the original cost figure is given. t*11 Washington PI., Helena MT 59601
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