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Pearson knew the technical challenges were formidable, so he wondered, "why not build an elevator on the Moon?"

On the Moon, the force of gravity is one sixth of what we feel here on Earth, and a space elevator cable is well within our current manufacturing technology. Stretch a cable up from the surface of the Moon, and you'd have an inexpensive method of delivering minerals and supplies into Earth orbit.

A lunar space elevator would work differently than one based on Earth. Unlike our own planet, which rotates every 24 hours, the Moon only turns on its axis once every 29 days; the same amount of time it takes to complete one orbit around the Earth. This is why we can only ever see one side of the Moon. The concept of geostationary orbit doesn't really make sense around the Moon.

There are, however, five places in the Earth-Moon system where you could put an object of low mass - like a satellite... or a space elevator counterweight - and have them remain stable with very little energy: the Earth-Moon Lagrange points. The L1 point, a spot approximately 58,000 km above the surface of the Moon, will work perfectly.

*Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS): MD Robotics in Canada is making steady progress on the shuttle's new OBSS to be used starting with the RTF mission to allow crew to inspect earlier inaccessible areas for damage. The OBSS development schedule earlier looked like it could not support a first flight as early as May 14, but is now coming in line with orbiter schedules, Parsons said. Its shipment to Kennedy for Integration with Discovery is planned for this month.

The unit is a 40-ft. extension to the existing 50-ft. Canadian-built arm designed to position a laser dynamic range sensor and laser camera to view the wing leading edges and complete belly area. At least one of the two laser sensors should make the STS-114 flight. In space, the standard arm will mate with the new extension. The OBSS is also being designed for use by the station's arm to further its reach for orbital wing and belly inspections.

*Kennedy milestones: The three Boeing/Rocketdyne space shuttle main engines to be used on the RTF mission were installed in the orbiter Discovery late last week in Bay 3 of the Kennedy Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF). In the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) the stacking of Discovery's two solid rocket boosters is two-thirds complete on the spacecraft's mobile launcher platform and is expected to be finished this month by United Space Alliance technicians.

*External tank arrival: Discovery's external tank with insulation and other modifications is to be shipped by barge from its Lockheed Martin assembly facility in Michoud, La., by Dec. 31 and arrive here by Jan. 6. It is to be attached to the solid rocket boosters in the VAB by the second week of January. Under the current schedule, Discovery would be mated to the tank in early March and rolled to Launch Pad 39B by mid-March for tests leading to a mid-May liftoff.

The new external tank is being shipped to Kennedy with more work needed to prevent ice buildup on the liquid oxygen feed line bellows near where the oxygen umbilical enters the orbiter belly. The task is to be completed here and involves an engineering issue that has been under test for some time (AW&ST Oct. 4, p. 57).

*Atlantis power-up: While Kennedy is accelerating Discovery processing for the first post-accident mission, it is also moving forward with preparation of Atlantis as the ready backup for retrieval of the STS-114 crew at the ISS within 40 days of Discovery's launch in an extreme emergency.

An upcoming NASA selection between very different robotic spacecraft for a $700-million mission scheduled to fly by 2010 is emblematic of the strains that are likely to beset the U.S. agency--and its international partners--for years to come as they struggle to map the new pay-as-you-go U.S. exploration program.

In choosing between a vehicle to return lunar samples from the Aitkin Basin at the Moon's south pole, and an orbiter that would circle Jupiter from pole to pole to see if the gas giant has a solid core, NASA managers must strike a balance between human space spectaculars close to home and the equally spectacular science possible deeper in space.

The CEV will be part of a Crew Transportation System (CTS) that consists of the CEV, the CEVLV, and a launch escape system.

The CEV shall dock in Earth orbit with the Earth Departure Stage (EDS)

The CEV shall be capable of rendezvous and docking with the Lunar Surface Access Module (LSAM), which appears to perform the same function as the Apollo Lunar Module.

The CEV propulsive capability must be capable of returning the spacecraft from lunar orbit to re entry and landing on Earth.

The CEV shall utilize either parachutes or parafoils.

The CEV structure may include wheels or landing gear

The total weight of the spacecraft is undetermined

The initial crew size will be no less than four

The CEV shall contain a health monitoring system, a galley, and a waste management facility.

Launch escape capability must include on-the-pad, throughout the complete booster ascent, and Earth orbit in the event of a failure of the EDS.

A separate RFP SOW and description will detail the requirements of the CTS booster.