SMF Construction Process

>
> I would prefer that all of the mechanical systems, control systems,
> furniture, etc all be outfitted on earth to save assembly time in
> orbit.
>

Many small hihg value components will be made on Earth and shipped into
space.

Furniture may well be made in space, not on Earth.

The main structure will be made of lunar materials. Components will be
individually shipped up from Earth and installed on the structure shell.

>
> If this is done, then how much will we have to worry about vacuum
> exposure in the open sections damaging all of the equipment.
>

Well, the components will either need to survive vacuum exposure until the
final pressurization is done, or else the installation be done after
pressurization.

> Should each section be pressure tight, then when sections are
> joined, the pressure seals between them are cut out, so that the
> many sections start to become a whole with the ends always capped.
>

That will be difficult. It will be easier to pressurize the entire ring at
once. Dividing the ring into pressurized and unpressurized sections will
be difficlt. This will mean special hemispherical pressure walls to be
temporaily welded between each section, then possibly removed later by
cutting them away.

On the other hand, this would be an interesting safety feature. These
domes could be left in place, and in the event of a pressure vessel breach by
debris or meteor, the damaged section could be evacuated and sealed off.

>
> What if the sections come in lateral halves or quarters, and we
> can't pressure seal them off?
>

I cannot visdualize this. Keep in mind that the pressure vessel will be
made of lunar materials, not made on Earth.

>
> Should then, one of the first built structures in orbit be a large
> pressurized assembly bay (assembled piecemeal in a painstakingly
> slow process to allow for the large open volume required) where the
> quarter sections are assembled, the ends sealed, moved out of the
> bay and joined to other completed sections.
>

I am not sure I understnad. You mean, build the torus sections in a huge
pressurized assembly bay ? It would be much easier to assemble it all in
vacuum.

> If the torus facility will have an intergrated waste heat radiation
> facility and other central facilites, how will we process radiant
> heat that accumulates during the construction process before the
> whole torus functions as one system? Will each sectional piece

There would not be any waste heat until internal systems are powered up.

Powering up the systems will have to wait until sufficient radiators are
available. This is how spacecraft manage things today. e.g. Space Shuttle
cannot power things up until the cargo bay door radiators are opened up.

>
> require a radiator? Do we wrap the whole thing in mylar to reflect
> the heat? Do we extend a large mylar sunscreen behind which we
> assemble the torus?
>

Not necessary to wrap the whole thing. If necessary the torus components
can be edge on to the Sun, then a relatively small mylar sunshiled could
shade the whole thing.

Heat rejection only becomes an issue when electrical systems are powered up
and running. During contruction a passive thermal control regiume could be
employed. Just enough to make sure that delicate components do not get
cooked (most things can survive +55degC) or frozen (say -20 degC). Not too
difficult.

>
> I'm just trying to imagine the asembly of a large facility for
> thousands of initial workers and how we would step through that

The initial facility is a diffierent matter. It will have to be a fully
operational space station of some kind. It will not be able to handle
thousands of workers. Maybe a hundred or so, with lots of robots.