A_M_Swallow: BA-330 + propellant-tank counterweight station (2015)

Design summary

  • Layout. One BA-330 hab plus 3 NASA 5.5 m composite cryo tanks (a propellant depot) as counterweights, at 50 m radius. NDS docking at the centre; liquid transfer for balance; an elevator car with ECLSS A_M_Swallow, 2015-08-30; A_M_Swallow, 2015-08-31.
  • Related A_M_Swallow points:
  • A 25 t BA-330 at 1 g is 245 kN, more than a 100 kN docking adapter, so dock at the centre. A 20–50 t counterweight tank doubles as a propellant depot A_M_Swallow, 2015-11-10.
  • A 3 kW motor spins up a 30–60 t vehicle in ~30 min A_M_Swallow, 2015-09-15.
  • A BEAM-based elevator car A_M_Swallow, 2015-10-23.

Critiques raised

  • Paul451: put radiators on the back of the solar arrays with the sun along the spin axis Paul451, 2015-08-30.

Open questions

  • Is a propellant depot a good counterweight when its mass changes with every transfer?

Sources

Forum posts