H20 Gas station on the Earth orbit

[jhoblik]

Design Gas station on the Earth orbit will have couple ADVANTAGES for their customers:<br /> - weight of fuel, water and oxygen for space mission is between 50% to 90% of weight of the space craft<br /> * 50%.....satellite mission Earth orbit <br /> * 75%.....Lunar mission <br /> * 90%.....Mars mission<br /> Hardware could be launch by less powerfully rocket, or we don't need built <br /> new more powerfully rocket(for example for Moon current rocket will be good enough) <br /> - keep LOX and LH2 in liquid form is still problem for long, <br /> Gas station will have raw material in water bags in close orbit<br /> - launch water to space could be executed by anybody without going through government approval process,<br /> - we could use also less reliable and chepaer deliver system because in case of failure we loose just water<br /> - we could build big enough storage of fuel in advance and use it at moment that will be required<br /> (for example launch of hardware will be delay, but it will not compromise our mission)<br /> - launch capacity of rocket will be fully used in case of water<br /> (water bag could be easy built exactly for required quantity<br /><br />DESCRIPTION OF GAS STATION<br />- Electrolyser....will produce LH2 and LOX <br />- SOLAR PANELS....provide energy for electrolyser<br />- NET.............it is net with rocket engine, it will grab water bang in close orbit and bring to ship<br /> for processing. <br />- HOSE............hose with rocket will deliver LOX and LH2 fuel or water to sattelite/ship<br /><br />PRODUCTION<br />- Gas station will be deliver to the Earth orbit<br />- Different contracted company will launch water bags to approximity of Gas station, <br /> they will be paid only if deliver to required orbit<br />- if sattelite or ship required LOX, LH2, it will approach gas station<br />- Gas station will conect hoses to sattelite/ ship tank<br />- Gas station will catch a water and start to produce LH2, LOX

 

[jhoblik]

better picture

 

[qso1]

I did a thread a few months back called "Shuttle "C" and SKAM" and I had an image I did of an orbital propellant station, one of which I posted here.<br /><br />The aft end has the solar power arrays (Shown here in deployment), two tanks (Fuel and Oxidizer) which are full when this vehicle is launched as part of a system I called powerlifter. A system based on shuttle "C" but utilizing the cargo element as part of the craft.<br /><br />I did this for a graphic novel series I did rather than as an actual engineering proposal. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[qso1]

Even though I did this for a GN. It became apparent that there would have to be something in space requiring such tankers. In my GN case, it was space industrialization. I had to adapt an entirely different scheme for the mars mission part of the story because the refill tanks were too large for the craft shown in the image I previously posted. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[bdewoody]

Assuming there is sufficient water on the moon (earth's) wouldn't it be more economical to build the fueling station on the moon?. That is why I believe we should go forward with developing the moon as our "Space Station". After we have a sufficient pressence on the moon the rest of the solar system would be easy to reach. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em><font size="2">Bob DeWoody</font></em> </div>

 

[jhoblik]

to buils something like that on the Moon, I could imagine in 20 maybe 30 years. On the earth orbit could be done 5 - 10 years and we still could easier fix any problem than if something happen on the Moon.<br />I see easier to send Gas station to orbit around Mars moons, if one of these will have water.

 

[rocketwatcher2001]

I'd love to snag a comet and put it in orbit. Maybe it woud be smart to blow off a piece and crash it into the Moon, and quickly secure it from evaporating into space. From there, launch bags of ice by railgun into EO, either LEO or higher....both. Fuel placement, or lack there of has been what's kept our space program where it is. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>