Space Elevator Concept of Operations

The International Space Elevator Consortium (ISEC) conducted its 2012 study addressing the Concept of Operations for a future Space Elevator Infrastructure. This report contains the findings and conclusions from that study.

Finding # 1: While the development of Space Elevator tethers and climbers is a daunting task, their operation will leverage 50 years of satellite operations experience. The climber is essentially a satellite just like the thousands that have been launched to date. The classic “telemetry, tracking, and command” functions (TT&C) for the climber and tether operations will be the same as those for today’s satellites. Climbers will be in constant contact with the operations center, capable of autonomous operation, and execution of instructions. The GEO node will be a satellite capable of remote controlled and autonomous operations much like the hundreds that have been functioning in the geosynchronous belt for years. The Apex Anchor will also be a satellite and its operation is even simpler than the GEO Node.

Finding # 2: The Marine Node, comprised of the Floating Operations Platform and Ocean Going Vehicles, will leverage hundreds of years of deep-ocean off-shore drilling operations. Maintaining platform position, on-loading and off-loading of supplies and personnel, providing living, recreational, and maintenance facilities are exactly the activities off-shore drilling operators do today.

The Headquarters and Primary Operations Center will be the principle location to ensure robust operations across the multiple centers are synchronized, to include: The Climber Ops Center, Tether Ops Center, Floating Ops Center, GEO Node Ops Center, and the Enterprise Operations Center which includes the Business Ops, Transportation Ops, and the corporate headquarters. Each of these OpsCenters supports, or leads, one of the fourteen functions identified within the study to be conducted at typical satellite operations centers.

Finding # 3: The operations cost, for a pair of space elevators, seems to be reasonable for a business of its projected magnitude.

The authors conclude:

Operations for a space elevator have no showstoppers, have reasonable costs and meet the challenge.