在太空中的貨物基地：空軍將軍想要在十年內有

在太空中的貨物基地：空軍將軍想要在十年內有
Cargo Bases in Space: Air Force General Wants Them Within a Decade

該服務的機動性主管已經在與SpaceX及其他公司談論關於繞軌道供應轉儲的可能性。

The service’s mobility chief is already talking with SpaceX and other companies about the possibilities of orbiting supply dumps.

AUGUST 3, 2018

十年之內，如果空軍的機動性指揮官能使他的願景成真，美國軍隊可能從太空中的預定位置存倉得到補給。

Within a decade, U.S. troops may get some supplies from prepositioned stocks in space — if the Air Force’s mobility commander can make his vision come true.

Gen. Carlton D. Everhart II is already talking with SpaceX and other space-services companies about that and other space-related initiatives, the leader of Air Force Mobility Command told reporters at a Defense Writers Group breakfast Thursday.

“What happens if we preposition cargo in space? I don’t have to use terrestrial means, I don’t have to use water means. I can just position in space and have a re-supplying vehicle come up and come back down. I don’t have to have people there, I just have to have the cargo there. Automated loading systems, those types of things,” Everhart said.

Where, exactly, would these orbiting supply dumps be?

“This is me thinking out loud,” he said.“Low earth orbit? Fine. But I’m telling you if the commercial industry is going to launch 5,000 satellites, I don’t know if it’s going to work…It’s cluttered up there. So, is it…the halfway point between the Earth and the moon? …Maybe we can put it in GEO…I don’t know, I’m going to ask the industry…If you’ve got ideas, I’ll take them.”

Everhart said the Air Force’s space-cargo missions could be modeled on SpaceX’s deliveries to the International Space Station.

The cargo “can be anything. Obviously, if it’s food supplies, they go up there, doesn’t stay fresh. Water, that’s got to be worked through. But if you’re looking at materials, I don’t want to say dunnage, but things like that can survive in space,” he said. “Could be hardware, could be a Humvee…I’m willing to stick anything up there.”

https://www.nextgov.com/emerging-tech/2018/08/cargo-bases-space-air-force-general-wants-them-within-decade/150261/