Abstract |
The report gives results of a preliminary screening study of the technical and economic feasibility of the on-site production of commodities (liquid propellant and gases) and electricity to support space shuttle launch activities at Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB). Both commercial and developing systems were considered. Systems to supply electricity were considered to meet continuous electricity demands only, critical launch demands only, or both continuous and critical launch demands. In addition to systems to supply commodities only, several systems to produce both commodities and electricity were considered. All systems were evaluated for technical risk, conversion efficiency, environmental impacts, reliability, and economics. |