GLOBAL OUTPOST, Inc., in cooperation with NASA, proposes to place a Space Shuttle External Tank (ET) in orbit for commercial purposes. The OUTPOST External Tank derived platform discussed in this paper is designed to service a commercial market and will also be available for governmental use. The platform requires power for its operation and will sell power to customers as one of 68 different commercial services offered. A number of alternatives for power systems are under study. The company expects to purchase a power subsystem from the available alternatives. The proposed facility will require 4 to 10 kW of power and remain in orbit for five or more years. The plan will combine private sector funding with NASA assistance to create a business location in orbit. While the ET normally falls just short of orbital velocity, it can be placed in orbit with little additional energy. The platform proposed is a minimum cost, man visited facility aimed at attracting commercial ventures seeking a low cost way to use the attributes of space.

Topics
Power electronics, Space instruments, Funding, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
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© 1992 American Institute of Physics.
1992
American Institute of Physics
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