Orbital Colony  

SCTC Orbital Colony

The Simulated Training Scenario

Pictured above is the orbital space colony scenario for the Space Colonization Training Center.  This design closely mimics the earth based design (or vice versa) in order to give students a realistic earth-side training experience.  The concept is based on using 18 spent CEV (Crew Exploration Vehicle) fuel tanks.  It is assumed that these new fuel tanks are designed on the original Space Shuttle architecture (27 ft. diameter x 154 ft. length) with two domed ends rather than one domed end and one conical end.  During launch, instead of jettisoning the empty fuel tanks to burn up in the atmosphere on reentry, the empty tanks continue with the rocket to a parking orbit before being jettisoned.  Once in parking orbit, a robotic space tug ferries them to the final assembly orbit. 

An elevator truss cuts across the center diameter of the ring.  This truss is used as both and elevator with two docking sleds on one side and an inflatable microwave rectenna on the other.  The docking sleds carry modular cargo containers and passenger pods from the center of the truss to the habitat ring.  The modular containers and pods are moved from the parking orbit of their launch vehicles to be connected to the docking sleds at the center of the truss by robotic tugs.  Once secured to the sleds the containers are hauled simultaneously in opposite directions to the outer habitat ring.  Disembarking is simply the opposite procedure.  The spherical microwave rectenna on the opposite side of the truss is used to receive microwave energy from the solar power satellite in orbit with the colony ring to provide power to the colony.