Start Date
4-1978 8:00 AM
Description
This paper summarizes the results to date on an 18-month study on Space Industrialization performed for NASA-MSFC by Rockwell International. This study is in two parts. Part 1 addressed the "what" and "why" of Space Industrialization; Part 2 will address the "how". This paper highlights important future world needs and trends in which space can potentially play a part, and identifies the specific recommendations for the evolutionary industrialization of space. The space opportunities that are applicable to future national and world needs are listed, and these opportunities are assessed. They cover the broad areas of Space Industrialization: (I) information services, both transmission and data acquistion; (2) energy...in the form of light or converted to microwaves and beamed to earth for conversion to electricity; (3) materials ...manufactured in orbit using terrestrial materials, materials from the moon, or materials from outside cislunar space; (4) weather, environment and climate monitoring, predicting, or controlling; and (5) other uses of space including human activities such as medical treatment and tourism. During the study several Space Industrialization program options were identified and the various viable opportunities were integrated into evolving programs, each with a step-by-step development of the required hardware and returning intermediate benefits leading toward longer range goals. The paper discusses an assessment of these program options, including the benefits incurred and the hardware items necessary to implement the overall recommended program.
Large Scale Human Benefits from the Industrialization of Space
This paper summarizes the results to date on an 18-month study on Space Industrialization performed for NASA-MSFC by Rockwell International. This study is in two parts. Part 1 addressed the "what" and "why" of Space Industrialization; Part 2 will address the "how". This paper highlights important future world needs and trends in which space can potentially play a part, and identifies the specific recommendations for the evolutionary industrialization of space. The space opportunities that are applicable to future national and world needs are listed, and these opportunities are assessed. They cover the broad areas of Space Industrialization: (I) information services, both transmission and data acquistion; (2) energy...in the form of light or converted to microwaves and beamed to earth for conversion to electricity; (3) materials ...manufactured in orbit using terrestrial materials, materials from the moon, or materials from outside cislunar space; (4) weather, environment and climate monitoring, predicting, or controlling; and (5) other uses of space including human activities such as medical treatment and tourism. During the study several Space Industrialization program options were identified and the various viable opportunities were integrated into evolving programs, each with a step-by-step development of the required hardware and returning intermediate benefits leading toward longer range goals. The paper discusses an assessment of these program options, including the benefits incurred and the hardware items necessary to implement the overall recommended program.
Comments
Future Programs
Session Chairman: Robert F. Freitag, Deputy Director, Advanced Programs, NASA Headquarters
Session Organizer: Paul D. Toft, Sciences, Technology and Applications Office, NASA, Kennedy Space Center