The only equipment carried to the asteroid by the mass driver reaction engine is the space manufacturing facility, so Mf= 174 t + 58 t = 232 t. Using the rocket equation. are required. The number of shuttle flights required for payload is 57 t • (flight/ 30 t) = 8.6 = 9 flights, which provides the required reaction mass. Let month 0 be defined as that at which the first shuttle flight occurs. Since 30 flights per year are available to this plan, it takes to bring all required payload to low earth orbit, so the mass driver reaction engine leaves low earth orbit at month 4. Since the time between departure from low earth orbit and arrival at the asteroid is 8 months, the space manufacturing facility is attached to the asteroid and begins self-reproducing at month 4 + 8 = 12. The mass driver reaction engine leaves the asteroid with a space manufacturing facility as soon as the first space manufacturing facility is produced. The rocket equation allows determination of the exhaust mass required for the AV of 3 km/s to the second asteroid. Since Mf = 232 t again, The exhaust mass is then 263 t - 232 t = 31 t. Since 2/3 of the throughput of the space manufacturing facility becomes waste, and since the mass of the new space
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