Design for orbital vehicle assembly facility, by Simon Feast and Alan Bond of Reaction Engines Ltd. www.reactionengines.co.uk

1. A Design for an Orbital Assembly Facility
Simon Feast Alan Bond

2. Outline
• Why the need for it?
• The Problems with On-Orbit Assembly
• Design Constraints / Layout and Assembly

3. …Why the need for it?
An integral part of the Space Transportation Infrastructure
Function
• Vehicle Assembly and Maintenance Facility
(A Stepping Stone for High Energy Space Missions)
• Assessment and Repair Area for Vehicle Departures/Arrivals
• Propellant Storage

4. Ideas from the Past

5. The Main Problem with On-Orbit Assembly
Parallel Orbit In-Plane Orbit