The existing shuttle and conceived upper stages are assumed to provide satisfactory transportation for the development program up to and including the pre-prototype flight test demonstration. Second or third generation transportation systems which significantly reduce the cost of transportation to geosynchronous orbit are required for deployment of the production units and should be demonstrated in the demonstration of the prototype. It is assumed that such a deployment system will be defined in the current and future HLLV Upper Stages and Operations investigations. Basic transportation and associated operations costs, time value of money invested in the payloads, atmospheric and ionospheric effects, pollutants, noise and launch packaging density should be major considerations in transportation system tradeoff studies. What technology would be used is not known at this time; however, it is understood that technology that is in development at least would be preferred. The nature of such programs however tends to use the technology that is on the frontier. Even if some unknown technologies are not to be developed, it may well be prudent to recognize that a risk ratin' of 4 should apply due to the integrated problem at least. This is not considered to be required for pre-prototype flight test demonstration of the satellite power station itself, but would be highly desirable for the early phases of prototype flight test and mandatory for the latter phases.
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