%0 Conference Paper %B 40th Annual Conference, Dayton, Ohio, May 4-7 %D 1981 %T 1438. Erectable Space Structures: Automated Assembly and Utilities Installation %A Vernon, R M %K 18. Weight Engineering - Spacecraft Design %X This paper presents the results of a study of on-orbit assembly of tetrahedral truss platforms erected of composite tapered, nestable columns. Several concepts for assembly were investigated and a preferred concept, the gimbaled parallelogram assembler, was developed. This assembly machine design provides fully automatic erection in either orbiter-attached or free-flying modes. Concepts were also developed for STS packaging and transportation of construction materials and the assembler. It is estimated that the automatic assembler would be capable of assembling a shuttle load of 20 m columns in about 36 hours (free-flying mode). This estimate consists of eight hours for loading the assembler and 28 hours of actual construction time. The resulting platform would have an area of 0.1 sq km. An assessment of the effects of including non-structural systems (utilities) in the assembly process was performed, and the effects on design and operation of the automated assembler evaluated. The installation of candidate utilities was implemented using existing, state-of-the-art technology by add-on devices or modifications to the baseline assembler design. Proper programming of utility installation allowed compatible assembly sequences for a variety of platform sizes and shapes, with minimal impact on assembler design and operation. The study results also showed that a postulated utilities network installation on candidate platforms required little orbiter payload bay volume and thus imposed only a small reduction in the size of the platform produced from a single STS load. However, the amount of total construction time could be increased significantly, depending on the extent of the required utilities. %B 40th Annual Conference, Dayton, Ohio, May 4-7 %I Society of Allied Weight Engineers, Inc. %C Dayton, Ohio %P 19 %8 5/4/81 %G eng %U https://www.sawe.org/papers/1438/buy %9 18. WEIGHT ENGINEERING - SPACECRAFT DESIGN %M 1438 %1 Non-Member Price: $20.00; Member Price: $10.00 Members: First 10 product downloads are Free. %2 10.00 %3 20 %4 SAWE1438