cause of the very large scale of the operation, a high degree of automation will be employed to keep the number of personnel to a reasonable level, and the total construction time to a minimum. These personnel will principally perform monitoring, repair, and resupply functions. Figure 3 illustrates the construction base which employs about 600 personnel, and Fig. 4 describes how a satellite solar array would be constructed. The estimated construction time for a 5 GW satellite was estimated to be six months. The systems required for transporting cargo and personnel to space for construction and maintenance of the satellites would be a key cost consideration in an SPS program. Based on a number of studies the four systems illustrated in Fig. 5 were defined as part of the reference system. Again it should be noted that these systems are probably not optimum, and further analysis is required. The transportation system is made up of the heavy lift launch vehicle (HLLV); the cargo orbit transfer vehicle (COTV); the personnel launch vehicle (PLV); and the personnel orbit transfer vehicle (POTV). The HLLV is a two-stage, vertically launched, winged, horizontally landed, reusable vehicle with a 424 metric ton payload capability to low Earth orbit. The COTV is a reusable electric engine powered vehicle which transports cargo from the low Earth orbit (LEO) base to the geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO). Personnel for the orbital construction and support functions are transported to LEO via the PLV which is a Space Shuttle orbiter modified to include a passenger
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