THE INTERWORLD RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM
Copyright (c) 1997 Forrest Bishop, All Rights Reserved
Forrest Bishop
Institute of Atomic-Scale Engineering, Seattle, Washington, USA
http://www.speakeasy.org/~forrestb
Abstract
A Solar System-wide transportation system is proposed for freight
and for spacecraft propulsion. A network of accelerator/decelerator
stations in various positions around the Solar System pass 'Smart
Pellets' and othe
r forms of matter and energy between each other, to planets and other
bodies, and to spacecraft in transit. Stations at planets might be in
high polar halo orbit, supported by planet-based accelerators, or in
nominal HEO,
HEEO, or forced orbits. Other 'relay stations' are in Solar free or
forced orbits. The positions these relay stations take up is dependent
upon the particular state of development of the entire Solar System, as
well as t
he developmental state of the transportation network (IRTS) itself.
Some examples of networks are shown, primarily between Earth, Mars,
near-Earth asteroids, the main asteroid belt and the Jupiter system.
By supplying fuel on demand to a spacecraft in transit, extremely
fast and short manned interplanetary transfers are possible, a matter
of a few weeks or days. The specific impulse of the spacecraft's rocket
engine is
not a critical factor. Three novel accelerator station designs are
presented.
1. Introduction
When humanity and its decendants colonize the Solar System, a need
will arise for a transportation network analogous to current air, sea
and land networks. Traffic between worlds, natural and artificial,
implies such
a system. Disassembling millions of comets and asteroids, mining and
terraforming other worlds, building new worlds and shipping freight
would be greatly facilitated by having 'service stations' extant to
support these ac
tivities [Lewis, terraforming REFS].
In this proposal, a network of 'relay stations' in various positions about the Solar System pass 'Smart Pellets' and particle, laser and maser beams between each other, to planets and other bodies, and to spacecraft i
n transit. Stations at planets might be in high polar halo orbit, supported by planet-based accelerators [Bishop], or in nominal High Planet Orbit (HPO), Low Planet Orbit (LPO) or High Elliptic Planet Orbit (HEPO) [Bishop
]. Other relay stations are in Solar free or forced orbit. The positions these stations take up is dependent upon the particular state of development of the entire Solar System, as well as the developmental state of the t
ransportation system (IRTS) itself.
By supplying propellant or fuel on demand to a spacecraft in transit, extremely fast and short manned interplanetary transfers are possible, a matter of a few weeks or days.
1.1 Background
The remote support of interstellar spacecraft via pellet streams
has been studied since the 1980's [Singer], and independently by this
author [Bishop, 1982]. A later concept, the "Space Fountain" [REF],
uses a circula
ting pellet stream on a planetary surface to support an installation in
halo orbit, as well as its own launching apparatus. The "South Pole
Accelerator" [Bishop, 1981] was proposed as a method of shipping
material from Ea
rth to the Moon and to high orbit without having to support an
intermediate halo installation. An accelerator in HEEO supplied by the
South Pole Accelerator was studied as a means of supplying an
interplanetary spacecraft
[Bishop, 1982]. Coilguns, or "Mass Drivers" have been studied in some
detail as a method of shipping material from the Lunar surface to L5
and other points [O'Neill]. Laser and maser beams are proposed for
remote heating
of rocket propellant, and for pushing lightsails [Kantrowitz, Forward,
Landis]. The "Spaceport" concept [Kingsbury] is an Earth orbit facility
with some similarities to an IRTS planetary station. Neutral particle
beams,
suitably ionized near the target spacecraft, are proposed to react with
magnetic sails [Nordley, Andrews].
All of these concepts share the central ideas of separating power
generation from spacecraft propulsion, and supplying the ship or colony
from a large 'stationary' facility.