A Strawman Architecture

A while ago, I wrote about my overall approach to space settlement. Here's the next step, a strawman architecture for the a paper I'm submitting to ISDC 2006 (entitled "Value Network models for the Cislunar Economy"):

I'm looking at the architecture from the business point of view: Development Costs, Cash Flow, Balance Sheet, Investment Risk, ROI.

I'm still only just a little bit into the modeling, but my starting point is a multi-modal architecture:

1. Surface-LEO: one or many of the current crop of alt.space launchers or their progeny

2. A Space Port @ LEO, containing:
....a. Tourist destination
....b. Crew & Passenger lay-over space
....c. Pressurized and un-pressurized cargo transhipment space
....d. Vehicle maintenance facility, including a spare parts inventory
....e. Fuel and other consumables depot

3. LEO-L1: via one of two TransLunar Vehicle types (one optimized for people, including a human crew, one optimized for cargo - remotely piloted)

4. A Space Port @ L1 similar to #2, but potentially different volumes of storage and maintenance capacities (remote vs. depot level maint.)

5. L1 - Surface: via a dedicated, single stage, reusable Lander

6. A Space Port on the Moon, similar to #2, growing down the line into an ISRU processing facility and storage depot, and whatever else people will pay for

7. Surface - L1: via the same vehicle as in #5

8. L1 - LEO: via the same vehicle as in #3, using partial aerobraking (I originally started with fully propulsive braking, but will switch to partial aerobraking, as Jonathan Goff suggested yesterday).

9. LEO - Surface: via one of the several vehicles as in #1

All of these constructed by vehicle integrator companies (one or more per segment) and operator companies (several per segment).

More later...